


The Madness of Death

by Metaldragon868



Series: Madness [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Child Neglect, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Daddy Issues, Dark, Dark Comedy, Dark Past, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, For Want of a Nail, Gen, Mental Health Issues, Psychological Horror, Trust Issues, angsty as fuck, broken home
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-13
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-08-30 17:19:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 32
Words: 262,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8541958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metaldragon868/pseuds/Metaldragon868
Summary: One mistake. That's all it took for a once bright, innocent and simple soul to become torn and tortured. Now, the once simple soul is wrong. The young girl in red once filled with such vibrant energy and life is now cold and hollow. Hated and feared by those she loved, she decides not to walk the path of a hero. Instead, she walks her own, and in her wake, leaves naught but madness





	1. Scene 1: Something Wicked this Way Comes

**? Pov**

It was supposed to be an easy job. Just bust in, take the Dust, and leave. The shop didn't have anything fancy security systems or anything, and I wasn't exactly worried about being seen, seeing as how I was already a wanted criminal. It's not like the old shopkeeper could do anything to stop us, he was hardly a threat.

But…

For some reason…

Something in my gut didn't like this at all. It felt that there was something special about this place. Not the shop itself, Dust 'till Dawn wasn't anything special. No

There was something _inside_ the shop my gut didn't like. Something unsettling, something dark, something I've never encountered before. Even Grimm didn't make me feel like this. My instincts were telling me that this was a _very_ bad idea.

And I didn't become a wealthy criminal mastermind by ignoring my instincts.

Even still, I couldn't just _not_ do it. My employer wouldn't be very happy with me if I did that, and she can get rather… _intense…_ when displeased. So, I decided I would be cautious, and if anything came up I had plenty of men to throw at the problem.

When I walked in I directed my men to get as much Dust as they could, and like the good little henchmen I paid them to be, they did it.

Then I noticed one of the guys was missing. I think his name was Steve or something, I don't remember, they all look the same to me. In any case, whoever it was, he wasn't here where everyone else was. It's also where the Dust was, so there was no reason for him not to be here.

This…annoyed me. Nothing like incompetent henchmen to ruin a good heist.

" _AAAAAAHHHHHHH!_ "

That's when the bloodcurdling cry of Steve echoed through the shop. Everyone stopped what they were doing, even me, as we all just stood there wondering what the hell that was about. It was at this point my instincts started to yell at me to get the fuck out of there.

," _Okay~_ …. go check that out," I said impatiently to one of the guys. I didn't want to just leave immediately, but I sure as hell wasn't checking that out myself.

He looked at me in fear, looked toward the corridor leading to the back of the shop, then looked back to me.

I frowned and motioned again, so, reluctantly, he walked to the back of the shop, weapon in hand.

I looked back towards the rest of the men and noticed they had stopped collecting Dust. I sighed, realizing that these guys were hardly worth the money I spent on them. Fortunately, I had plenty of it and wouldn't be running out anytime soon.

"What are you doing?" I asked harshly.

They all turned to each other, looking back and forth wondering how to respond. One of them looked to me and tried to respond.

"…uh….we-"He began

"Not collecting Dust, that's what you're doing." I interrupted, my irritation at their incompetence growing.

"Yeah, I know boss, it's just-"Another tried to say.

"I don't care, I don't pay you to whine, I pay you idiots to steal Dust, so…" I reminded them, hoping they got the message.

Fortunately, despite being brain dead morons, they were still intelligent enough to get _that_ message.

"R-right boss. Sorry." Another apologized as they all got back to work stealing Dust.

It didn't take long for me to notice that I had sent the second guy in search of…Bob? Was that what his name was? Whatever, it had been several minutes since I sent idiot 2 after idiot 1, and idiot 2 hadn't said anything. Once again, my instincts were screaming at me to leave, and this time, I decided that it was about time I did that.

That being said…I might as well take…extra…precautions.

I turned to the remaining henchmen, who had just finished up collecting Dust from the primary dispensers.

"Alright you idiots, you did a not completely shit job at collecting that Dust, but Bob and Steve are being a little quiet. Why don't you morons find out why, while I take the Dust back to the Bullhead?" I "Suggested" to them.

They looked at each other nervously again, but were smart enough to know the difference between a suggestion, and a "suggestion". So, following my orders, they dispersed and searched the shop for idiot 1 and 2.

Meanwhile, I took the Dust they had collected in the briefcases and left the shop. I decided to wait for a couple seconds outside the shop to see if anything would happen. Instead, nothing happened.

There was total, absolute, silence.

I couldn't see any of the men moving around the shop, the shop keep, couldn't hear any screams of pain or surprise.

Nothing.

Then, I recognized there was a slight, quiet, whisper like, buzzing. It was like the buzzing you hear from a TV that's on, but isn't playing anything, it's just on. It unnerved me, and I don't know when it started, I just realized it had been there the whole time. I don't know how, but I just _knew_ it was connected to…whatever…was going on in that shop. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, the lights in the shop went out.

 _Okay~…that's creepy_. I thought to myself. _I should probably leave now_

So, with that thought, I turned around to make my way to the Bullhead Cinder was waiting for me in.

And was instead met with someone standing behind me.

"AH!" I yelped, jumping away from the person who managed to sneak up on me.

This person, whoever they were, they were incredibly stealthy. After all, they managed to sneak up on _me_ , a master thief. They wearing a tattered, shredded really, red hooded cloak. The hood covered their head, so I couldn't see their face, so I couldn't tell too much about them, but considering their short height, they barely came up to my stomach, and their androgynous body shape, I was willing to bet they were a child.

More importantly, this was the source of my bad vibes. My instincts were telling me to leave _now_.

"Hey…kid…" I began to say as I tried to move past them towards the Bullhead. I circled around the kid, not daring to look away until I was completely past the kid.

At that the kid looked up, looking me in the eyes with their own hollow silver eyes.

Now that I could see their face I could tell that this kid was _probably_ a girl, likely no older than 12. She was…unsettling to look at. Her face was mostly expressionless, but her eyes held a degree of curiosity. That being said, she just …radiated…a sort of unease, of creepiness.

That, of course, was before I noticed the rather large splotch of blood on her cheek, blood she didn't seem to care about.

"Uh…right, so…bye kid." I said, now having circled around her, the entire time I didn't dare take my eyes of the creepy girl.

Now that she wasn't in my way anymore, I turned back around, faced forward, and ran toward the building the Bullhead was behind.

At least…

….That's what I _wanted_ to do.

Instead, when I turned around, the girl was once again in front of me, staring straight into my eyes again.

I jumped in shock, surprised by her second appearance.

 _How did she?_ I thought, turning back to see if she was still behind me, and if this wasn't her creepy twin or something.

Instead, I only saw empty air. Turning back, I noticed she hadn't moved from the spot and was still staring at me with mild curiosity, like a child looking at a bug crawling on the ground, deciding what to do with it. She just looked at me, unblinking, with those soul-piercing silver eyes.

"Uh…could you…move, kid?" I asked, unnerved by her presence.

In response she just tilted her head to the side, still not taking her eyes off me.

"…Roman…Torchwick?" She asked slowly, as if not sure if she was right.

"Uh…yes?" I responded hesitantly, not necessarily liking the way she said that. There was no fear or recognition in the way she said it. She was checking to be sure she was right for some... unknown purpose.

At that, she smiled, a small smile, but sweet. It was the innocent smile of a child, filled with no true malice. She looked pleased, happy that she was right, that she had found who she was looking for, but as for why, I don't know. Frankly, the sweetness and innocence of the smile, combined with the blood on her face, disturbed me. Not quite as badly as Neo's could, but it still reminded me of the little psycho.

"Good." She said simply, yet it held a small degree of emotion in it, perhaps…hope?

Anticipation?

No sooner had she said this before the world changed around me. I felt a sense of vertigo, a powerful tingling sensation on my skin, and a tickling feeling my mind. The buzzing grew louder, before being drowned out by the sound of rushing winds and water, like some kind of hole sucking me through to somewhere. The world around me became enveloped in a black and white.

* * *

**? pov**

I was just out doing errands when I got an alert that a Dust store nearby was being robbed.

There had been a long string of robberies, the work of Roman Torchwick, an infamous and wanted criminal. No one really knew why he needed that much Dust. He could sell it for quite a price, but he could just as easily steal money, so it was doubtful that was the reason why.

I was hoping that I would be able to get him to tell me himself when I got there.

So, I made my way over there, using aura boosted jumping to launch myself across rooftops faster than normal running.

On my way there I noticed a slight…buzzing…noise. Like the sound of a radio when it's on, but nothing's playing, not even static.

Everything else, however, was quiet. Not a sound around me, which was odd, even given the time of night. It unsettled me, it was never this quiet in Vale, and it was that quiet that allowed me to hear the buzzing. Aside from my footsteps on rooves, my own breaths, and the wind whipping past my ears, it was the only sound I could hear.

Then, it wasn't.

_**BOOM!** _

An explosion before me thundered, sending a shockwave that shattered windows and activated car alarms. A huge fireball rose into the air from ground zero, lightning arcing between the billowing flames, lighting up the dark sky like a second sun. Smoke poured from the devastation of the blast, hiding the shattered moon from sight.

I stopped my running in reaction to the blast, bracing myself for the shockwave. As I gazed at the fire and smoke I debated whether to go there, and help out where I could, or pursue Torchwick.

Then, I realized, to my shock, that the explosion came from the same area the store was in. With that realization, there was no doubt in my mind that Torchwick was the cause. I made my way to the site with added urgency, dropping everything to make it there in time to do…something.

When I finally arrived. I was…surprised…at what I saw before. Almost too surprised to act.

On a roof before me, Roman Torchwick was fighting some child wielding a simple, bloodstained, scythe. The child was wearing a tattered, blood red, cloak, with dark clothes underneath. Their hood was up and their back was turned to me, so I couldn't really identify too much about them, other than their general age based on their height and shape.

The child was holding their own quite well against the infamous criminal, especially since he was a fighter on par with several veteran hunters.

That being said, he was an experienced criminal without concern for human life, and this child was just that…a child. The child was losing, slowly but surely. Torchwick was pushing her back with his reinforced cane, putting them in the position to be blasted by him with the cannon hidden in it.

Suddenly, the child made a mistake when they swung their scythe, over-extending themselves. It wasn't a big opening, and most opponents wouldn't be able to take suitable advantage of it. That being said, Torchwick wasn't most opponents.

Using the opening, he kicked the child in the chest, knocking the child away from him and slamming them into the wall of the building that rose up behind them. Stunned, the child was helpless when Torchwick drew a red Dust crystal from his pocket and threw it at the child, taking careful aim with his cannon as he did so.

If he hit that crystal, another fiery explosion would go up right in the child's face. There was no way they would survive that. There was only one option left to me.

Just before the crystal ignited, I jumped in front of the child, pulling up a shield to deflect the heat and fury of the blast. When the fire and smoke cleared I saw Torchwick hold a stunned expression on his face, wondering where I came from.

I glanced behind me and found a silver eyed girl in the blood red cloak looking up at me. He face was calm, cold, and placid, but her eyes held muted surprise, with a touch of suspicion.

I brought my eyes forwards again, and without another word, sent bolts of dust magic at him in an attempt to subdue him. He dodged, staying light on his feet, never staying the same place twice. As he bobbed and weaved through my blasts, he returned fire with his cannon, forcing me to block or dodge in return.

For a while, it was a stalemate, the two of us equally matched, neither able to gain an upper hand on the other. Fortunately, I wasn't alone.

Suddenly, a blur of red appeared behind Torchwick, and with a resounding  _WHACK,_ he was knocked unconscious. I looked at him, laying there, blood seeping from the back of his head, then back up to see the girl standing over him, her scythe blade reversed and the blunt side covered in a small splotch of blood.

She was bent over, her hood throwing her face into shadow, but I could hear her panting, her breaths shallow, and see her body tremble.

A small part of me was pleasantly surprised about what she had done. I saw great potential in her, one day she could grow into being a strong and capable huntress.

Most of me, however, was furious. This girl had endangered hers, and the lives of all around her by engaging this criminal in combat. If I hadn't appeared when I had, she would have died. The idea of a little girl fighting the battles of adults infuriated me.

However, before I could utter even a word of this to her, she collapsed.

The girl fell forward, landing face down on the roof behind the man she knocked out.

My rage quickly gave way to concern, as I rushed over to make sure the girl was okay. I rolled her over to get a closer look at her face, and to see if she was still breathing.

I was startled to find a profuse nose bleed and her skin unnaturally pale. Her eyes were closed and her breaths were weak, but present. Her hood pulled back, I was able to see her messy black hair that turned red at the ends and reached just past her shoulder. As I went over her body to check her for injuries I noted a large gash on her right shoulder bleeding profusely.

I didn't notice it before because the blood blended in perfectly with the crimson cloak, but I now that I could I couldn't help but be surprised that the girl fought this well despite the serious wound to her shoulder. In fact, she must have an incredible will for a child to have stayed conscious and have fought through the pain.

 _What could have driven you to have fought so fiercely against a superior opponent? Arrogance? Or something else?_ I thought.

This girl couldn't have been older than 12, just old enough to enter a hunter academy, and already she was skilled enough to fight through a crippling injury, and even hold off a trained, ruthless, criminal. Even as much as I wanted to scold the child for getting involved, I knew I would have never have been able to capture Torchwick without her help, let alone even see him if she hadn't held him back.

I looked at her weapon of choice closely. It was a fairly simple scythe. All it appeared to be capable of doing was folding into a more compact form for easy storage. Of real note was the materials used. It was hardly made of high-quality materials. I doubt she would have been able to kill more than a handful ofGrimmm with this thing before it started to fall apart. It appeared to be made of scrap, handmade too.

What worried me, however, was the prominent blood stains on the blade itself.

I looked down, off the roof and toward the store Torchwick had been robbing. The shop, formerly known as Dust 'till Dawn, was now little more than a burning crater. I'm not entirely sure how it happened, it was likely just collateral damage, but it looked like someone decided to detonate all the Dust in the store at once, which primarily consisted of fire and lightning Dust.

So there was probably no actual evidence of what really happened. We'd have to rely on witness testimony alone.

Looking back at the pale and dying girl, I decided that this could wait till later.

I pulled out my scroll and made a call to someone I thought would be very interested in what I had found.

"Hello, Ozpin? It's Ms. Goodwitch. I found something…interesting." I said.


	2. Scene 2: Opportunity Strikes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chap goes to a dark place, which sort of involves child abuse, and lots of madness.
> 
> If you want to skip it, then when someone says "Dad", run.
> 
> It'll be explained next chapter so don't worry about missing anything.
> 
> You have been warned.

**Glynda pov**

A few hours later and Torchwick was sitting in a jail cell, awaiting justice and an interrogation, and the girl was sitting in a hospital bed.

The doctors aren't sure what exactly caused the nosebleed, but whatever it was it was fixed now, likely due to her aura healing it.

In addition, due to the injury on her shoulder, as well as a fractured wrist, her arm was placed in a cast and sling.

After she arrived we quickly identified her as Ruby Rose, who despite evidence to the contrary, was actually 15, not 12.

I had called her father over to try and shed light on this subject, but he would be a while. Right now I was speaking to Ozpin about the girl.

"So, Glynda, what are your thoughts about her?" He asked me, taking a sip from his mug.

"I think, for a child with no formal training, she's incredibly skilled." I answered truthfully.

"But?" He said, reading me like an old friend.

"But…something about this whole thing doesn't sit right with me. She shows evidence of extensive hunter training, but she isn't in any academy." I said, answering his question.

"Her mother was a huntress, and her father and uncle are both skilled hunters. Her uncle even works at Signal, where her sister just graduated from. While her mother passed before she was old enough to teach her anything, the rest of her family could have taught her all she needed." He supplied

"These weren't just some basic self-defense techniques. This was extensive hunter level training, she could go to Beacon with this level of skill. Why give her this much training and _not_ enroll her in Signal? They certainly had enough pull in the school to make it happen." I countered.

"Perhaps she didn't want to be a huntress? Maybe she didn't want to pursue the family business?" He offered.

"I don't thinks so. You didn't see her fight out there, Ozpin. She was _born_ to be a huntress. She has real talent and skill. As much as I hate to acknowledge it, if it wasn't for her, Torchwick would've gotten away. She didn't interfere with me at all, and used me as a distraction to perfectly incapacitate Torchwick in one blow." I paused.

"As much as I am unhappy about her using me like that, it was… _effective_."

"Just because she has talent in becoming a huntress, doesn't mean she wants to be one. She could have a talent for it, but not a passion for it." He argued.

"Maybe…" I conceded "But…"

"The scythe?" He guessed.

"The scythe." I agreed.

"That scythe is shoddy simply due to a lack of materials. Whoever made it put a lot of time and effort into it despite a lack of suitable materials. It was literally made of junk and spare parts, but is certainly effective. If she put that much time and energy into making scythe out of garbage, why not make a scythe out of hunter-grade materials? Her family certainly has the connections to do so." I argued.

He sighed in defeat. "I don't know, Glynda, I don't have an answer for that." He said, a tired look on his face.

He looked down at his mug, taking a sip of his still steaming black tea. He then abruptly looked up, staring me in the eyes with a look sharpened to a razor's edge.

"But, I _am_ concerned about that blood on her blade." He said sharply

"As am I, but unfortunately we have nothing to go by, other than her and Torchwick. Everything else was either destroyed in the explosion, or the fire that came after. All we have are seven unidentifiable bodies." I answered, feeling tired and frustrated.

"Yes, we certainly have a lot of questions for Ms. Rose and her father." He said, adjusting his glasses sitting on his nose when he was done.

I sighed, seeing where this was going.

"You want to try and convince her to enter Beacon, don't you?" I asked

"Oh? Whatever gave you that idea?" He said, grinning while his glasses reflected the light, hiding his eyes.

"Because you're a manipulative bastard." I muttered.

"Why Glynda, I'm hurt. I simply don't want the talent of such a skilled youth to go to waste." He said, mocking hurt. It was ruined by the fact he was still had a scheming grin on his face as he took another sip of steaming hot tea.

"Sir?" I said, getting his attention.

"Yes?" He responded, his glasses back to normal as he looked at me with a sweet smile on his face.

"You are a terrible person." I answered calmly.

He just chuckled and said, "I know Glynda, I know. But if that's what it takes to keep humanity alive, I'll do what I have to." He said, his smile taking a sad, yet serious tone.

Just then, one of the nurses opened the door.

"Uh, Professor Ozpin and Ms. Goodwitch?" She asked

"Yes?" Ozpin responded

"Mister Xiao-long is here about his daughter, you wanted to know when he got here?" She answered.

"Yes, we'll be right there." He acknowledged.

When she left he turned to me and said, "Well then, I guess we'll be getting those answers after all."

"We'll see." I responded skeptically.

We left the room, walking through the hospital before we ended up in the lobby. When we arrived we saw Ruby's father, Taiyang, with his shockingly yellow blond hair, pacing back and forth.

"Mr. Xiao-long?" Ozpin asked, getting the man's attention.

The man turned around, showing his worried face. He had a slight beard matching his blond hair, and purple eyes.

"Yes?" He asked, confused at our appearance.

"Could you come with us? We have a few things we would like to talk to you about your daughter, Ruby." Ozpin requested in an even, inviting tone.

The man looked perplexed and concerned, but relented, and followed us as we made our way to a private conference room we had reserved. The walls were soundproof and no one else was in here, giving us all the privacy we needed.

The second I closed the door behind Mr. Xiao-long, the dull roar of the hospital was snuffed out. The room was filled with a tense silence. But it wasn't too silent, now that it was quiet again I could hear that odd buzzing sound from earlier, like it never left.

Ozpin motioned for Mr. Xiao-long to sit down, which he respectfully declined. Ozpin took his seat on the opposite side of the table, while I took my place standing behind him and to the left side of him.

"Is my daughter alright?" He asked, is tone slightly shaky.

"Yes, Ms. Rose is just fine." Ozpin answered, assuaging his fears.

The man visibly relaxed, letting out a tense breath as he felt himself calm down.

"However…" Ozpin began, taking a pause to sip from his mug.

This brought back the man's attention, as he looked at Ozpin sharply, wondering what this was all about.

"Ms. Rose was involved in an…incident…" He began to explain.

"An incident?" Mr. Xiao-long asked tensely.

"Yes." Ozpin answered, gesturing to me.

"Early tonight there was an attempted robbery at the Dust shop, Dust till Dawn, led by Roman Torchwick." I explained.

At this, the man paled once again.

"Is Ruby alright?" He asked, fear in his voice.

"Once again, Mr. Xiao-long, Ms. Rose is fine. She incurred mild injuries and passed out from exhaustion, but is otherwise fine. Thanks to the healing properties of her aura, Ms. Rose should be back to full strength in a day or two." I said, trying to comfort his fears.

Instead, it only served to feed them.

"What do you mean exhaustion? Why would she be exhausted?" He asked, growing more and more concerned.

"It seems your daughter, despite not being enrolled in any hunter academy, even Signal, has received exquisite hunter training. Due to her efforts, Mr. Torchwick was successfully apprehended." Ozpin explained, setting up for his line of questions.

However, the second Ozpin mentioned that Ruby had hunter training, Mr. Xiao-long paled considerably. He broke out into a cold sweat, his eyes widened.

Frankly he looked terrified.

"She _what_?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Yes, it seems as if you taught your daughter quite well. Though, there are some odd discrepancies, especially regarding her weapon." Ozpin continued, his face blank, yet serious.

"Her _weapon?_ " He muttered again, his eyes widening even further.

It seemed with every word out of Ozpin's mouth, Mr. Xiao-long just seemed to be driven deeper and deeper into horror.

"Yes, she had this scythe with her." Ozpin began as he pulled out Ms. Rose's scythe from under the table. "We had to clean it off, but it seems to be quite well made despite the low-quality materials used."

When Ozpin brought the scythe out Mr. Xiao-long just stared at it in horror, like it confirmed his greatest fears, but when Ozpin said they had to clean it off, his head snapped back up to Ozpin.

"You had to _clean it off_?" He asked

"Yes, there were some bloodstains on the blade, but-" Ozpin began to explain before Mr. Xiao-long cut him off.

"People died, didn't they…" He interrupted, his terrified voice a whisper, and his face filled with horror.

"Um…yes, there were seven bodies found in the burning remnants of the shop. During Mr. Torchwick's attempted escape he blew up the shop." Ozpin explained, slightly caught off guard, not only by Mr. Xiao-long's statement, but by the _way_ he said it.

At this, Mr. Xiao-long let his back hit the wall as he put his head in his hands.

"No no no no, this can't be happening. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. She wasn't supposed to be able to do this." He said, muttering to himself.

Ozpin and I looked at each other in confusion. This was most definitely _not_ the reaction we had expected form the man. Maybe some rage at the fact that his daughter almost died, pride at her being instrumental in apprehending a criminal, or concern at her condition.

Not…terror.

"Uh, Mr. Xiao-long?" Ozpin asked, trying to get his attention.

The man looked up at him, his eyes wide and dilated, yet bloodshot. He looked like he had become consumed by horror, and wasn't quite there anymore. But there was something underneath all the fear, something I couldn't quite identify.

"She killed them." He stated quietly.

The two of us were taken aback at that. We hadn't even _suggested_ she was involved in the deaths of the seven men, and he had just accused his own daughter of murder because she was there.

"Uh…Mr. Xiao-long, I think you're being a bit rash. There is no evidence, at all, to suggest your daughter had anything to do with their deaths, at least, intentionally. She could have simply injured them with her blade before Mr. Torchwick blew up the shop." Ozpin said in an effort to defend the girl and calm Mr. Xiao-long down.

"And even if she did, in fact, kill several men in there, Ms. Rose will likely be fine, seeing as she was defending herself against potentially seven armed men who threatened her life." I threw in, hoping assuage his fears of his daughter being arrested and charged with murder.

"As much as the idea of a 15 year old killing someone irritates me, if she did it in self-defense I cannot do much to fault her for it, other than to instruct her in several, non-lethal, methods for taking down a group of people." I continued in an effort to insert my own opinions to defuse the tension in the air.

"Oh no, you don't understand, she _liked it_." He said, his mania quickly growing.

"What do you mean?" Ozpin asked, frowning as his voice grew cold.

"Ever since she came back, she's never been quite the same." He began, a twisted, humorless smile growing on his face.

_Came back from what?_ I asked myself. One glance at Ozpin told me he was thinking the same thing.

"I saw it in her eyes, the way she acted, the way she moved, the way she _thought_." He raved, tapping the side of his head for emphasis

"She had become a killer." He revealed quietly.

Ozpin opened his mouth to speak, but the man once gain interrupted him.

"I tried to deny it, to suppress it. I tried to keep that killer in her locked away, that's why I didn't let her enter Signal, you see? Why would I give a killer tools and training, all to help her kill? I wouldn't enable her like that." He explained, falling deeper and deeper into madness.

As he spoke, the buzzing in my ears grew louder and louder, turning into a dull static filled roar in the background.

I felt my irritation and disbelief grow. On the one hand, how could he say such things about his daughter? No father should ever speak about his own daughter in such a fashion, let alone any child!

And to think, Ms. Rose had to _live_ with this, her father calling her a killer to be. I can't imagine what it would do to a child. On the other hand…

…What if he was right?

I didn't get to see much of Ms. Rose, but what I did see unnerved me. I don't really know why, but when I looked into those hollow silver eyes, I felt like she was gazing into my very soul. Then there was the way she fought, ruthlessly and without hesitation. She may have simply incapacitated Torchwick, instead of killing him, but what if that was just because I was there?

What if, had there been no witnesses she could not silence, she would have killed him without a second thought?

Then, there was what he was saying about her training. Apparently her family _hadn't_ given her any training as a huntress, because, according to her father, they didn't want to teach a killer how to kill, and give her the tools to do so. And yet, she was so dead set on this course that she went behind their back.

It certainly explained her scythe. Her uncle Qrow used a scythe, and if she admired him at all, maybe he was the only one nice to her, then maybe she tried to take after him. She had to make the scythe in secret, using the only parts she could come across without alerting her family to what she was doing, scrap and junk.

Though it does raise the question, she couldn't just be self-taught, she was far too good with something far too complex for that. Someone must have taught her, or at least, helped her along. But who? And why?

And I have to wonder, what could have driven him to think like this? What could have happened to cause him to think like this?

Both my and Ozpin's thoughts were brought to a sudden and violent stop by one word. One, innocent, fearful word.

"Dad?"

Everyone looked to the corner of the room it came from. Standing there, in her hospital gown with her right arm in a cast and sling, was a frightened and fearful young Ruby. She was looking up at her father with a mix of fear, trepidation, and hope. Like, while what he said hurt her, she was hoping he didn't mean it, and that just one look at her would cause him to take it all back.

Upon seeing his daughter standing there, looking at him, he broke into a real smile, not the tense, manic one earlier. He seemed to calm down, and relax, like he suddenly realized something. He slowly, and calmly walked over to her.

"I'm sorry Ruby, I didn't mean it. I was just…confused, and angry that you got hurt." He apologized to her earnestly.

At this, Ms. Rose relaxed, breaking into a bright, if small, smile.

"Don't worry Rubes, daddy loves you. I love you with all my heart." He said as he walked up to her, reaching down to ruffle her hair.

"But…" He began, and that's when I saw it.

There was something dark lurking under that smile.

"You're not my daughter." He finished calmly

In a flash, both of his hands were wrapped around her throat, choking the life out of the small, young, girl. Her meager frame was helpless as his madness came back with a vicious vengeance. She choked and struggled for air, but Mr. Xiao-long wouldn't give it to her. He seemed to enjoy watching her struggle, to see her suffer.

I was frozen in horror, unable to truly comprehend what he was doing. I couldn't believe that Mr. Xiao-long would do something like this to his own daughter. As we stood there, helpless to our own shock, and Ruby staring at her own father, terrified, he spoke.

"I realize now, I've been wrong all these years!" He shouted at her. "I've been _fooling_ myself, trying to believe you're her, but I was wrong!"

He then leaned in close, looking her in the eyes as she fought for life, struggling as her lungs were deprived of oxygen, and her brain of blood.

"No, you're just a monster that tried to trick me." He spoke in a whisper, loud enough for us to hear it. His tone filled with insanity and hatred. "You came back, wearing her skin like a rag, walking around like her, but you couldn't do it right, could you?" He asked.

He slammed her head into the wall behind her, hitting it with a resounding _THUD_.

"Could you!" He shouted again.

This snapped me out of my shock.

"Mr. Xiao-long, what the _Hell_ are you doing?!" I boomed at him in a voice that terrified student, teacher, and adult alike. It was filled with enough fury and force to make even the most arrogant man submit.

But Taiyang was too far gone in his bloodlust.

He laughed, _laughed_ , at me.

"Why, Ms. Goodwitch, I'm doing what I should have done years ago. Killing a demon." He said, with a deranged smile as he looked at me.

As he did, he loosened his grip on his daughter for a second, allowing her a brief reprieve. She coughed and sputtered, trying to catch her breath as she tried to regain focus.

And then, just like that, he brought his attention to her once again. He pulled her back before slamming her head against the wall again, with even more force than before. Her skull slammed into the wall, breaking the surface with a resounding _CRACK!_

He resumed strangling his daughter, and continued his monologue.

"This monster spits on the memory of my beloved Ruby! She's dead, but it just won't let her rest! It wants to kill, and murder, all in her image! I know it!" He yelled, each sentence punctuated by slamming her head into the wall again, and again.

Blood began to pour from the back of his daughter's skull as her eyes rolled up into her head. As I saw this father, lost to madness, brutally strangle, beat, and try to kill his own daughter, his own flesh and blood, something in me snapped, and I saw red.

Next thing he knew, he was blasted across the room as I held my riding crop at him. I huffed as I felt fury fill me. As much as people might think the contrary, I loved children, I wouldn't work at a school if I didn't. I simply believed that discipline and order was important, else they would run wild and miss out on reaching their potential. In my career as a huntress, never had I seen something that infuriated me so much as to lose control. But seeing this…insanity, this madness…it was too much.

"Mr. Xiao-long! This is your _daughter_! You will calm down and we will talk about this like _Sane, Rational, Adults_!" I boomed at him once more.

"No! I told you! That's _not_ my daughter! My daughter is dead! That demon bitch is just walking around in her skin, pretending to be her! But it's just a monster! Just like the Grimm! And like Grimm, it needs to die!" He roared, his aura flaring in rage. In righteous, mad, fury.

He charged at the girl, fist pulled back and ready to cave in her skull. I moved in front of him as time seemed to slow. Tiyang was infamous for his power, and even if he was unarmed, I was worried I wouldn't be able to stop him entirely, not with him charging at us with this much fury fueling him. If I really wanted to stop him, I could, but it would likely level half the building in the process.

Nevertheless…I could not just stand there and watch as this man, lost to his own insanity, grief, and hatred, tried to kill this little girl, regardless of whether or not it was actually his daughter.

Just before his glowing fist reached my barrier, a loud _Crack_ echoed through the air once again. Something flew forward in a blur, and penetrated Taiyang's aura shield, digging into the skin in his outstretched arm and causing blood to spurt out of the wound. The sheer force of the impact sent his arm flying off to the side, towards the wall, and offset his entire balance. In order to keep from falling over, Taiyang had to stop his charge, and re-orient himself.

He paused, standing and looking at his arm in bewilderment and pain. A simple fountain pen was sticking out of it. It was buried in at least an inch, with blood slowly leaking out of the wound. With his aura, the injury was hardly something to be concerned about, but the pain shocked him out of his rage.

We looked over to see the source of the pen, and found Ozpin standing there, one hand on his cane, the other on his mug of tea.

His glasses once again gleamed in the light, hiding his eyes. He had a smile on his face, not one of mirth, humor, or any pleasantry. This was the smile he purely reserved for when he was using all of his willpower to keep from killing someone.

His hands were clenched around his specially reinforced mug, and cane. Had they been ordinary, they would have shattered under the sheer pressure he was applying to them. His aura was flaring darkly, and it was quite clear to both of us that if he wanted to, he could have killed Mr. Xiao-long with that pen.

"Mr. Xiao-long." Ozpin began, his tone light, but filled steel and fury, "I think it best if you leave."

"But-" Taiyang began, trying to defend himself.

_**CRACK!** _

He was cut off by the sound of Ozpin loudly cracking and breaking the floor with the force he was applying to his cane. Despite the smile on his face, it was easy for everyone in the room to see that he was absolutely livid.

" _Now_." He insisted.

With that, Mr. Xiao-long wisely left the room like a wounded animal with his tail between his legs. When he shut the door behind him, I turned my attention to Ruby, who was laying on the ground unconscious.

She lay there in heap, blood trailing down the hole in the wall where her father tried to crush her skull, all the way to where blood continued to seep from the open wound in her cranium. She looked…broken…and lost. Her eyes had rolled up into her head, and tears were streaming down her face. She just lay there, like broken and discarded doll.

I quickly ran over to her, terrified that we might have been too late, that her father might have succeeded in ending his own daughter's life. I was relieved to find a steady, if weak, pulse. A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I relaxed.

For just this moment, I allowed myself to stop being Ms. Goodwitch, headmistress of Beacon, and became just Glynda Goodwitch. I sat down next to her, leaning my back against the wall. For just an instant, I let my guard down, I let myself be just a woman again.

I looked over to Ozpin to see him re-adjust his glasses once again, and sighing. "Well then, what to do now." He said to no one in particular.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...
> 
> I'm not sorry.
> 
> ...
> 
> In case you're wondering, though, Taiyang isn't-well, no, he IS crazy, but...
> 
> It isn't his fault, kinda.
> 
> hmm...
> 
> There IS a good reason for what happened.
> 
> I DIDN'T just make Taiyang evil, okay.
> 
> Or crazy.
> 
> I am a fan of cause and effect based relationships, events, and stories.
> 
> This was supposed to be normal, cannon RWBY, but something happened that derailed that, something caused a small change which eventually turned into this.
> 
> Butterfly effect stuff.
> 
> So, following the butterfly effect, things are going to be different.
> 
> How different?
> 
> Well, I'd say Taiyang suffering a psychotic break and trying strangle Ruby to death is a pretty good example of how different.
> 
> If you want more, then see chap 9, that shows how different things are going to be.
> 
> Side note, sorry if Ms. Goodwitch and Ozpin seem OOC. I'm trying to stay in character, but go deeper into their characters.
> 
> That being said, that thing with Ozpin and the pen, I totally feel like Ozpin's such a badass he can kill people with everyday office supplies, or innocuous things a headmaster of a prestigious school should have.
> 
> It's why he carries sharpened fountain pens, and has a reinforced cane and mug.
> 
> I also feel like Ms. Goodwitch is actually a caring teacher who loves teaching, she's just strict and believes in order.
> 
> Hope I didn't fuck up.


	3. Scene 3: Vulnerable

**Glynda pov**

It had been a day since the incident with Ms. Rose's father.

Well…

Her _former_ father. I don't entirely feel comfortable calling him that anymore.

In any case, after the incident we took her back to the hospital staff and had the doctors take a look at her. After we explained what happened, though leaving out the more personal details, simply saying some…assailant did it to her, and not her own father.

They told us that she _should_ have brain damage, rather severe brain damage in fact, and in a way, she did. The doctors aren't entirely sure _what_ it was, but they knew it was old. Something was…different…about her brain now.

They weren't entirely sure what the effect it would have on her brain was either, they just knew something wasn't entirely…normal…about her brain. They also said, considering she was technically 15, she was underdeveloped in almost every area. Apparently, she hadn't actually reached puberty yet, which was odd considering her age, though it did explain a lot.

All things considered, though, she was a relatively healthy, prepubescent, young girl, even after what Taiyang did to her. Her arm would still have to be in a cast and sling, but otherwise, she was fine.

But that was physically. Mentally, we could only guess at the scars incurred by the incident.

"We can't just send her back to her father, not after he tried to kill her," I said.

"I agree, to do that would be to send her to her death. I can only hope what he did to her hasn't shattered her mind." Ozpin agreed.

"But what do we do about it?" I asked.

"Well, we _could_ get child services involved.But I'm not entirely sure that's enough." He said

"What do you mean?" I asked

"Mr. Xiao-long looked like he had some kind of…psychotic break, he had a pathological _need_ to kill Ms. Rose. Somehow, he became convinced that Ms. Rose isn't actually his daughter, Ruby Rose, and that the real Ruby Rose died, and that this is some…monster taking her place." He began to explain.

"Right, and if he was even in the same room as her, he would try to kill her." I realized.

"We should probably look into his mental state, who knows what he could do to his other daughter if he feels the same about her." He said.

"I wonder how Qrow will react, all things considered," I said.

"I wonder what caused all this to happen, it must have been a serious traumatic event to have caused this…madness. This kind of thing doesn't just happen. He kept referring to her coming _back_ , but from where?" He mused.

"We'll find out when she gets up." I said, " _if_ she gets up." I muttered.

"Even if she does, what do we do then?" He asked

"We could enroll her in Beacon," I suggested.

He looked at me with a smirk on his face, "Really? I'd have thought you for one would have been against that idea." He teased.

"Normally, you would have been right." I began before sighing, "But this is anything but normal."

"Quite right." He agreed.

"Normally, assuming I wanted her to be a huntress, I would have tried to get her into Signal. However, considering the amount of pull her… _father_." I began, carrying as much venom as I could in referring to that man. "And her uncle has at the school, I wouldn't do that. In addition, given her skills, going to Signal would be more of a step backward than anything."

"True. In addition, if she attends Beacon, we can keep an eye on her. We _are_ , after all, the only other two people who know about what transpired in there. Though, potentially, not for long." He said, pausing to take another sip of his coffee.

"That being said, where shall she stay in the meantime? It's going to be several weeks until the semester starts. While I could technically allow her to stay an empty dorm in the meantime, I don't necessarily think it would be a good idea to leave a skilled young girl who just had her father call her a monster and nearly kill her alone." He argued.

"After that, she could be potentially suicidality depressed, or mentally shattered. Being isolated again is probably one of the worst things we could do." I agreed.

We took several minutes to think of a solution in silence. Wondering, what we could do to make her feel welcome, and not, well, a monster. Somewhere we could help the potentially shattered young girl put the pieces back together.

After that incident, and what it likely meant, I had a feeling that Taiyang kept his daughter from seeing…anyone. She was probably quite isolated, not to mention the stress incurred from having a father who thinks you are going to become a killer. Then there's whatever severe, traumatic, event that happened in the past to cause all this.

Eventually, I came to a decision, one that I was worried I might regret, but wouldn't back away from.

"I could take her in," I suggested

"Really? You'd do that?" He asked

"I feel that, after what I saw today, that I need to do something…direct…in order to try and help. I can't just sit by and watch this happen. I _need_ to help. Please, Ozpin, I know it's unorthodox, but I can't just let this girl's potential go to waste." I explained.

"Well…good. I was actually thinking of how to convince you to do it." He said with a smile.

"What?" I said, taken aback.

"Yes, I certainly wasn't going to take in the young girl, I'm not exactly the most…responsible person with children, something I'm sure you can attest to. Then there's the fact no one else knows about her. I'd rather not inform the rest of the staff about her… _predicament_ …if I can help it." Ozpin explained.

"Though, should we say anything to Qrow? He might get worried if is niece suddenly goes missing." I said, concerned.

At this, Ozpin sighed, acknowledging what a headache this was turning into.

"We'll probably have to eventually, it'd be rather difficult for him to not find out that his niece is attending Beacon at some point, and I'd rather it come from our mouths in a controlled fashion." He explained tiredly

"Good point. I wonder, though, why he never told us about this? This seems to be a serious issue. I mean, as private as it is, it was serious enough to cause Mr. Xiao-long to suffer a psychotic break towards his daughter." I said, concerned about Qrow's silence on this issue. Not that he was the most open person to begin with, but it feels like something of this caliber, of this nature, would have least slipped somewhere.

"I don't know, Glynda. Perhaps that is why he kept it a secret, because of how it was tearing what remained of his family apart while he desperately tried to fix it. In any case, I can only hope that Qrow doesn't feel the same, otherwise, we will have a very large problem on our hands." He said.

"Perhaps it would be best if we enrolled Ms. Rose under a pseudonym. It would greatly assist in keeping her location a secret from her potentially abusive family." I suggested

"Yes, we would have to, considering the fact that her older sister, Yang Xiao-long, will be attending this year as well." He agreed

"How do you think she's reacting to all this? The mysterious previous trauma included?" I asked.

Ozpin sat there, thinking for a couple seconds, taking a sip from his mug. He finally gave a sigh of resignation and said, "I don't really know. I can hope that her views aren't as... _extreme_ …as her father's, but it all depends on what exactly happened to cause all this."

He paused again, taking another thought.

"That being said, I am awfully anxious to meet the girl that stirred up all this fuss." He said with a small smile.

"Right, you haven't actually met her yet, have you?" I asked, realizing that in all this chaos, Ozpin hadn't even spoken a word to the girl yet.

"No, and it would be nice to know if this girl is actually worth all this trouble in person." He said wryly

"Well, you'll just have to wait until she awakens," I remarked.

and with that we left the room we were speaking in, and made our way to the room Ms. Rose was resting.

* * *

After several hours of just watching her chest rise and fall, the machines beeping and humming rhythmically the only signs of life in the young girl. Finally, in the early hours of the morning the next day, while the shattered moon was still out, she stirred.

She slowly opened her eyes, and looked around, her eyes at first slow and tired. Then, like the flip of a switch, they shot to me with such startling alertness. Her hollow silver eyes looked into mine, searching for something, anything.

They weren't…devoid…of emotion, though at first glance it was easy to assume that. She looked like a porcelain doll with her pale skin, expressionless face, and hollow eyes. Hidden in her eyes was a look of curiosity, concern, but no real fear.

After only a moment, she turned her gaze towards Ozpin. After only a couple seconds she seemed…satisfied…with what she saw.

"Did yesterday really happen?" She asked in quiet and calm voice, once again turning her hollow gaze toward me.

That question almost broke me. I would have to tell this girl that yesterday happened, that her father came in, called her a monster, and tried to kill her. She didn't ask Ozpin this, no, she asked _me_. _I_ had to answer.

I glanced down, unable to look her in the eyes as I solemnly said, "I'm afraid so."

I expected her to cry, to rage, to holder and yell. I expected her to try and deny it, to tell me I was wrong, to kick and scream, and try and hold onto her family. I expected her to be distraught and broken at the loss of her father.

Instead, she sighed.

"I figured…" She said quietly.

 _What?_ I thought, using all my willpower not to say it out loud, but it appeared my face said enough.

"I had a feeling he didn't love me anymore for a while now. I just…" She began, shrugging, "I don't know, tried to pretend he did. I hoped I could change his mind."

She sighed again, collapsing back down against the pillows on her cot.

"I just never knew he _hated_ me." She said, sounding lost, but not distraught.

She sounded like was admitting defeat, that she tragically accepted it, even if she didn't like it.

She sounded like she had broken long ago.

_What could have done this to her?_

I glanced at Ozpin, and saw a frown on his face. He was likely thinking along the same lines as me.

"Ms. Rose?" Ozpin said, getting her attention.

She snapped to him, sitting back up with a question on her face.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked, a small smile on his face.

She cocked her head to the side, pondering the question. After a second, she appeared to have the answer.

"You're Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon." She answered calmly, but a question still on her lips.

"Correct, I would like to know if you are interested in coming to my school." He asked.

"Why?" She asked, a brow raised.

That took me off guard for a second, surprised that anyone would question the headmaster of Beacon when they had an interest in them. It wasn't a bad question, but it was surprisingly…perceptive.  
Ozpin, however, rolled right through it.

"Why? Because you interest me, Ruby Rose. Ms. Goodwitch gave quite the high praise about how you performed during the capture of Roman Torchwick, something quite hard to come by." He said with a light chuckle.

In response to subtle jab at me, as well as exaggerating what I said about the girl, I glared at him, though he ignored it like only he could.

Ms. Rose just cocked her head again and said, "You're strange."

He chuckled again, took a sip of his tea, and replied.

"Indeed, but we're not here to talk about me, we're here to talk about you. I know you want to be a huntress, and I gathered from your father that you family has all but forbidden you from doing as such. Am I correct in that regard, Ms. Rose?" He asked.

She just nodded, no sadness, no shame, nothing. Just a simple, calm, nod.

"Well then, while your family might not want you, I, on the other hand, want and need every capable hunter and huntress I can get. Frankly, I don't care what I have to do if it gives humanity one more day, if it gives it more hope. You could very well be the monster your father said you were, but I wouldn't care. You have skill and potential, and _that's_ what I need." He stated seriously, giving Ms. Rose a look filled with steeled conviction. He meant every word he said, they lay at the core of why he did what he did, of who he was.

Ms. Rose seemed to consider this, deliberating her choices for a minute or two.

Finally, she responded.

"Okay." She answered simply.

"So you'll enter?" He asked, a degree of hope and surprise in his voice.

"Your argument made sense, and you aren't lying. I could tell if you were. Besides, I like your views, they make more sense than most people's." She explained, but then paused, "But don't I need parental consent to enter?"

"Not really, it's just easier with it. Thanks to a certain piece of legislation, your family can't actually interfere with you becoming a huntress." He explained.

At this, Ms. Rose's eyes widened.

"But, then why couldn't I enter Signal? Every time I tried they said I needed my dad's permission." She asked, surprised by the information

"It's likely because your family has a large amount of pull at Signal, allowing them to…bend the rules a bit." He answered.

"But they don't have that influence at Beacon." She guessed.

"Correct, at Beacon, you would be totally safe from your family. Well, except for your sister, Yang, but nobody has to know you're attending." He explained

Ms. Rose nodded in agreement and understanding.

"In that case, I'll need a new name, won't I?" She guessed again

"Indeed, you would. Though judging by your tone, you already have something in mind?" He asked.

"Lilith Totenrot" She answered 

Ozpin and I both raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised that she could come up with a name so quickly, in addition to the name itself. We were half expecting it to be something…approaching normal at the least.

"How did you come up with that?" I asked, purely out of curiosity.

"Lucifer gave it to me." She answered simply.

 _Lucifer? Who's that? Maybe…it's the person who taught her how to fight?_ I wondered, never having heard the name before.

"Well then, in any case, you'll be staying with Ms. Goodwitch until the semester starts, and possibly even after it starts." He explained, getting us back on topic.

Ms. Rose once again cocked her head in confusion.

"Why can't I just stay in an empty dorm by myself?" She asked, touching more sensitive subjects that we had hoped to avoid with her child-like curiosity.

Ozpin and I looked at each other for a second, having a silent conversation on what to do, what to say. Eventually, he took the lead.

"…Well…after what happened yesterday we're concerned you might do something…drastic…and we wouldn't want anything to happen to you." He explained carefully.

"You're afraid I'll try to kill myself?" She questioned, pushing through his wording and getting to the heart.

"Why would you care?" She asked, completely serious, and genuinely curious.

We were taken off guard by that question.

"Uh…because, we are worried about you," I explained.

Ms. Rose scrunched up her face in confusion.

"That reminds me, why did you two save me last night?" She asked, genuinely confused.

"W-what?! Why wouldn't we? How could we just sit there while that man tried to kill you!" I exclaimed, shocked by her questions.

"But if my own father didn't care about me, why should you? You're not my family. Why should you care about my death? You don't even know me." She continued calmly and curiously, revealing how truly broken she was.

I was stunned. Never had I met someone who lacked such a basic understanding of…compassion or empathy. If this is how she normally acts, then…I guess I can see why her father might have gotten some of his ideas from. That being said, it's no excuse for abandoning your duty as a father.

Ozpin, while stunned as well, recovered much quicker than I.

"Well, that's because, Ms. Rose, that's what humans do. We care about others, we help them when they're in trouble, and we try to do the right thing." He explained, trying to be patient with the young girl.

"Does that mean I'm not human?" She asked

"Pardon?" He responded, confused.

"I'm just wondering, because my family kind of said the same thing all the time, but I just don't feel like that anymore." She explained.

Ms. Rose then appeared to…pout…a bit and continued. "They kept trying to explain it over and over again, but I just didn't get it. Why should I care about others?"

Ozpin sighed, leaned back in his chair, and took another sip of tea. He seemed to have a realization, and not a comforting one. He looked tired, exhausted really, once he came to his conclusion.

"Well, Ms. Rose, I can't exactly answer that very well. But, I can tell you this." He began

Then, as before, his look sharpened, and he looked back at Ms. Rose, staring her right in the eyes.

"You need to at least _pretend_ to care about people. If people know you're different, they'll be suspicious of you. They might even hate you, call you a monster, and try to kill just like your father. If you can't feel it, _fake_ it. It's not a perfect solution, but it's good enough." He explained finally.

He got up from his chair and made his way to the door.

"Later Ms. Goodwitch will help you get the supplies for school. Good day, Ms. Rose." He said before leaving.

I stared at him, trying to understand what he just did, and why. I turned back to Ms. Rose to see her reaction, and was shocked to see a small look of understanding on her face, as if what he said made perfect sense to her.

"Excuse me, Ms. Rose," I said curtly as I followed Ozpin out of the room.

When I shut the door behind me, I saw him standing across the hall, waiting for me, taking a sip from his mug and a serious look on his face.

"Ozpin, what the _hell_ was that? Fake it?" I fumed at him,

He sighed, knowing full well I would react like this.

"Yes, that's probably what she'll have to do." He said, looking down at his mug.

" _Why_?" I hissed.

He looked back up at me sharply.

"Because, Ms. Goodwitch, I believe Ms. Rose to be a sociopath, or at least an individual with sociopathic tendencies, among other things." He began to explain.

"Are you saying she's going to become a serial killer or something?" I asked skeptically

"No, not really. What I meant when I mentioned her sociopathic tendencies is her difficulties feeling empathy. While most people would instinctively feel the need to help someone and be at least somewhat concerned about their wellbeing, Ms. Rose, does not. She needs a more self-centered reason to help or care about others. She probably thinks things like altruism is a myth, or the height of folly." He began to explain.

"While she could probably kill without a second thought, I doubt she actually has the urge to. She likely wouldn't kill without a reason, but if she did she wouldn't worry about it too much. Though honestly, I know too little about her to really know." He finished explaining, punctuated by another sip of his tea.

"How do you know so much about this?" I asked.

"It's not really much, it's just more than TV and movies tell you." He explained, "That, and I knew one once. He did the same thing I suggested to Ms. Rose, he faked caring. He was quite good at it too, fooled me for quite a while."

"Why do we have to teach her to fake it, can't we just actually get her to care?" I asked, not liking the idea of simply telling to fake it.

"You saw how well that worked for her family. Didn't really seem to be too effective. That being said, I don't really know enough about her to say one way or the other. She could just resemble a sociopath, and not actually be incapable of bonding. It might just simply be difficult for her, or she's more detached. I don't know." He explained

"But, what I do know, is that her being continually ostracized and isolated won't help. If she continues to behave in this manner, she _will_ be shunned. I'd prefer it if she didn't have everyone think that she's a serial killer, that wouldn't be very productive." He continued

"I see." I sighed, relenting.

"That being said, I think it would be best if you taught her." He said lightly with a smile, taking a complete about-face in tone.

"W-what?" I sputtered, surprised.

"I think she'll respond well to your special brand of teaching." He grinned, taking another sip.

"You can't be serious. I'm one of the most hated teachers at the school. While I'm not sorry for how I teach, I am well aware of the student's, and even some of the other teacher's, reactions to it." I argued, knowing full well my reputation at the school.

"Hmm, well, some of the hushed whispers I've heard around the school from the some boys, and even some girls, might disagree with that statement. Professor Port, especially, has been quite…vocal…in his…support of you." He teased, a smug grin on his face.

I glared at him fiercely with a look that has been known to actually cause lesser men to faint.

Ozpin simply laughed. Once he sobered up, he looked back at me and said, "But in all seriousness, I think you'll make a good mentor for her. She seems to be someone who likes explanations for what she does, and why. I know you'll be a good match for her." He argued in an effort to be supporting with a small smile on his face.

"Ozpin, I know I said I would take her in, but _teach her_? Especially something as abstract and vague as compassion and empathy? I don't know..." I said, still skeptical.

"Well, look at it this way. It's either going to be you, or me-" He said.

"I'll do it," I said firmly, cutting him off.

The second he brought up the idea of _him_ mentoring Ms. Rose, the images brought forth from that thought horrified me.

"I knew you'd see it my way." He remarked, his smile growing.

* * *

**Ruby pov**

I felt…strange.

I had known that dad, sis, and uncle Qrow felt…weird around me, for a while now. I had a feeling dad had slowly stopped loving me, but I always hoped I could do something to win it back.

I sighed in defeat.

But now, that was impossible. He hated me, didn't even think I was me. He thought I was some demon walking around in his beloved daughter's skin.

I cracked a rare smile.

He was actually surprisingly close to the truth in that regard. But still, I was still the same Ruby who was born to his late wife, Summer Rose. The same Ruby who used to be filled with such life and energy. The same Ruby who came back.

Mostly.

But, he didn't believe it, didn't believe _me_. I guess it's not too surprising considering what happened, but the fact that he actually tried to kill me, that he actually out and called me a monster to my face, that shocked me.

I couldn't help but feel angry, betrayed. I had worked _so_ _hard_ for them. I came back for them. I did my best to be the good little girl they wanted me to be, but it wasn't enough for them. They wanted me to be the same as I was before. They wanted _old_ Ruby.

 _THEN MAYBE THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE LET ME GET HURT!_  I thought in a flash of furious rage.

Even that flash, though, was only enough to grow a small scowl on my face. It disappeared as fast as it came, melting into a more passive frown, but the anger was still there.

I had done so much for them, I did everything they told me to. They kept taking things from me. They didn't want me to go to school, they didn't want me to meet people, they didn't want me to have friends.

I was fine with that, but then they tried to keep me from the few things that still brought me happiness. They didn't let me go to Signal, where I might actually be able to have fun again. They didn't let me tinker and make things. They said it was too dangerous, and that I was too young.

I begged uncle Qrow to show me. I was always drawn to his scythe and the way he used it, but even he failed me. I asked Yang to teach me how to fight, and she let me down. I asked dad to give me some pointers and he abandoned me.

It _Hurt_ , watching them leave me.

I knew why. They were scared of me now, they thought I was creepy, dangerous, a psychopath.

I knew _why._ It still _hurt_.

So, went I behind their back. If being a good little girl was never going to get me anywhere, why should I be one? I would never be good enough for them.

But, even still, I cared about my family. They were one of the only things I loved, even if they feared me.

I couldn't just abandon them, even if they did the same to me. So I tried to keep being a good girl, I tried to be as good as I could. Followed the law, the rules, did what dad told me. I tried to show them what they wanted to see.

Then came the day Yang was accepted into Beacon.

They praised her, worshiped her, threw her a _party!_

She got to hang out with her friends, get into a bar fight, be a bad girl. She got to do all the things I never could, and they threw her a _party!_

I asked them why, why did Yang get celebrated for being a bad girl, why she got to have friends, make weapons, got to go to Signal and Beacon. They didn't have a good excuse, they just looked dumbly at each other, stunned that I would even question them.

I may have sounded calm and cool when I said it, but they knew I was furious on the inside.

They tried to make excuses on the spot, they tried not to hurt my feelings. They tried to save themselves.

They thought that I would hurt them, _me_! I loved them, I trusted them, I would _never_ hurt my family. The fact they thought I could hurt so bad.

They were scared, terrified, of me.

Even though I had always tried to be a good girl.

So, I decided I would see what happens when I was a bad girl.

I just wanted a taste, I just wanted to see what it was like. Would I get what I wanted? Would I get arrested? Killed?

I just wanted to know.

Then dad disowned me and tried to kill me. I can't go back now. I'll never be his good little girl anymore.

So why should I try?

For Yang? She's scared to death of me. I tried to get her to love me again, and she did. She loved me, but it was always tainted with that fear, that guilt. I didn't feel like her little sister anymore, just a reminder.

She was never going to be my big sister again, I knew that now. So, why should I try to make her understand?

And then there's Uncle Qrow. He's not as bad as the other two, but he still had the guilt and fear in him. He's afraid of what I could do to others, and myself. He's afraid of losing me again, but the problem is, in the process he's already lost me.

I felt more alone now, now that I knew even my own family didn't like me, but at least I wouldn't let them chain me, enslave me to be their good little girl anymore.

 _It would still be nice to have someone else who understood me, to not feel so alone._ I thought as I curled up on myself, feeling cold.

_I wish Garmr was here, she always makes me feel better._

But then I had a thought that brought a grin to my face.

_Well, at least I don't have to be the same good little girl anymore. I can be a bad girl._

I reached out to my cloak that was draped across one of the chairs. I pulled out a card with a red wolf with three scratches through it.

 _And it seems bad girls get what they want_. _After all, the plan worked. I'm going to Beacon_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See?
> 
> I told you there were reasons why Taiyang had a psychotic break.
> 
> They're just...secret reasons.
> 
> Frankly I feel like I should have put down mystery and tragedy as other genre's, but whatever. Apparently FF didn't like that idea, assholes.
> 
> I was even thinking of putting down Hurt, but it unfortunately had to come with Comfort.
> 
> Eventually the whole secret will come out, but I was tempted to reveal it in the summary, but decided to be all cryptic instead.
> 
> But, now to the psychology stuff.
> 
> I'm not going to pretend I'm a psychologist, a psychology major, or some kind of expert about it.
> 
> I'm not.
> 
> I just have a passing interest in it.
> 
> That and I've watched Criminal Minds.
> 
> An expert that does not make
> 
> So, tell me if I made a fuck up with my psychology stuff
> 
> I'll either try to explain why I did it,
> 
> Correct my mistake
> 
> Or bullshit my way through.
> 
> Depends on how I actually fucked up.
> 
> But I mean actual scientific problems, not whining because someone's different, or they are or aren't an overpowered serial killer.
> 
> That being said, psychology is going play a rather large part here, thus indicated by the Madness part of the title.
> 
> But despite that, I'll try to keep things from getting out of control.
> 
> I've read stories where Ruby is, for various reasons, turned into a psycho of some sorts.
> 
> While some are good, they often fall into the trap of losing control.
> 
> What I mean is she goes absolutely batshit, or is some kind of ultra-deranged serial killer, or some such thing.
> 
> While that can be interesting, I'm trying to be more serious and real regarding the psychology of my characters.
> 
> That being said, once again, I'm not an expert on this shit.
> 
> I'm just a fan of crime dramas, criminal minds, batman, dexter, and well done psychological issues.
> 
> Not hardly an expert.
> 
> Also, I just realized that this is going to be long as shit, again.
> 
> I mean, 3 chaps in and we're still on the first ep, which was less than 10 minutes.
> 
> Par for the course, I assure you.


	4. Scene 4:Preparation

**? pov**

I sat at home, waiting, thinking. I couldn't _stop_ thinking. It's all I could do. I was helpless.

 _Again_. I thought _once again I'm just helpless_.

When we got the call about Ruby being hospitalized my heart stopped. I hoped, _prayed_ , that she was alright.

We'd always tried to keep her out of trouble, always tried to keep her safe. Unfortunately, we must have pushed her away in the process. I didn't really realize how badly it affected her until the other night when she questioned us.

I knew she was interested in becoming a huntress, but after what happened I just…I couldn't. I didn't want to lose her again. What I didn't realize was how badly that hurt her. I mean, we told her she couldn't be a huntress, and that it was too dangerous, and yet everyone else was. It was the family business after all. But we told her she wasn't good enough for it.

 _That's not the only reason, though_. I mutinously thought to myself.

Right, it was also because I was scared of her. I couldn't help it. After she changed she was just so…different…so creepy. Then there was the way she starred at me with those _judging_ eyes, criticizing and accusing me.

Every time she looked at me with those eyes, just to reminded me of my mistakes. I wanted to help her, to make up for my mistakes, but that fear, that terror, always held me back.

She _terrified_ me, especially after what I saw her do that last week she went to school. That wasn't something a normal, sane, rational person would do, and she was _pleased_ with it.

I was shaken out of my thoughts by the sound of the door opening. I turned my head to see my father come in with a serious look on his face. Ruby wasn't behind him.

"Uh, Dad? Where's Ruby?" I asked worriedly.

He looked toward me with bloodshot sunken eyes. He grew a small, sad, smile on his face when he saw me sitting there waiting for me.

"Is she okay?" I asked, getting more concerned. If she was fine she would have been with dad, right?

_But she isn't, she isn't there, she isn't here, she isn't safe, she isn't okay, she isn't-_

He sighed, cutting off my thoughts. Plopped down on the couch in front of me, and looked at me again.

"Yang, I realized something, when I went to see her." He began, and odd tone in his voice.

"W-what you'd realize?" I asked, my concern growing.

"Your sister…is dead." He said

If before my heart stopped, now it shattered.

"W-what, what are you talking about dad? She can't be dead!" I protested, growing hysterical.

"Oh no, she's dead." He began

He leaned back into the couch, letting out a breath.

"She's been dead for a _long_ time." He continued.

At that, I suddenly understood where he was going with this.

"N-no, she's alive dad, she was here the other day, remember?" I said, trying to convince him of it. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was probably trying to convince myself of that too.

At that, he laughed, a cold, mirthless, laugh.

"Oh no, Yang, my poor sweet girl, she's got you fooled too." He said, giving me a sad smile.

"But don't worry, I figured it out. I understand now." He continued.

"F-figured what out?" I asked, almost afraid to know.

He just laughed again, a grin growing on him. Then he leaned onto me, getting right in my face.

"That girl, running around calling herself Ruby, isn't Ruby." He whispered.

 _What is he talking about?_ I thought in horror.

But my thoughts were written all over my face.

"I know, I know, crazy right?" He said rhetorically as I just gazed at him in horror.

"But! I have proof!" He exclaimed.

_Proof? What proof!_

"You see, you know what she did tonight?" He asked.

I wanted to talk, to protest, to say _something_ , but instead I just mutely shook my head, enraptured by the raving of my father.

"She killed seven men in cold blood. Murdered them, just because they got in her way." He explained with a manic smile on his face.

"No…" I muttered in horror, in terror. I wanted to deny it, but I couldn't.

Somewhere deep inside me, I knew she _would_ do it. But how?

"I know what you're thinking, we kept her from learning how to fight, how to kill. We didn't let her make any weapons or anything, nothing. Didn't even let her go to Signal. How could she kill so well if she didn't know how?" He asked.

"Well, you see Yang, she was a bad little girl." He began

"She went behind our backs! She made her own weapon, a scythe! A fitting weapon for a killer, and somehow learned how to kill anyway!" He explained, his mania growing as he regaled me with the tale.

As much as I wanted to fight this, I was enthralled by this. I was horrified and captivated all at once.

"She what?" I muttered, terrified of the prospects of an armed and dangerous Ruby.

"That's when I realized something. This whole time, I've been worried about Ruby becoming a killer, becoming a bad girl. But then I realized, my little Rubes would never be a bad girl, she's not a killer." He continued to explain.

"That's when I had my epiphany, if Ruby isn't a killer, then this _Killer! Isn't! Ruby_ _!_ " He revealed.

"Some demon, some monster came back wearing her skin after it killed her! It tried to use her skin to blend in, to pretend to be her so it wouldn't get caught!" He explained. "Ruby isn't Ruby, instead it's just some _demon_ trying to corrupt her memory!"

Finished with his tirade, he grew quiet.

I stared at him in horror, my mouth moving, but no words coming out.

It sounded so… _wrong_ , but I couldn't fully dispute it. It made a kind of sense. I just sat there, trying to understand it.

 _Maybe when she came back,_ _she_ _didn't come back, and this…thing…did instead?_

As I sat there, he got up from his seat across from me. He slowly made his way around the table separating us. He pulled me into a hug, trying to comfort me.

"I know, it's hard to believe, but it's the truth." He said softly to me, any hint of his previous mania gone.

"B-but, no! It can't be, she _has_ to be alive! It _has_ to be her!" I argued fervently

He then pulled apart, holding my arms at the shoulders as he looked into my eyes.

"So, are you saying you'd rather believe your sister's a demon? A monster? A killer? You'd rather believe that than believe your sister's still the same sweet Ruby she was before, and that this monster killed her and took her place?" He asked seriously, a steely frown on his face

"Because I'd rather believe she's dead, but in peace, and still the pure little girl that we know and love, that she's sitting in the afterlife with her mother." He continued

"But I guess you'd rather believe that she became corrupted, that she became this monster, because make no mistake, whatever is in your sister's skin _is_ a monster." He said firmly, and with conviction.

As I stared at him in mute horror, I considered what he said. Was he right? Was I doing her a disservice by believing that this monster was Ruby?

 _No! It_ _is_ _Ruby! It_ _Has_ _to be! She came back to us!_ I argued in my mind, but it did no good. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, emotions, doubts, and beliefs.

Was I just believing what I wanted to be true? Was Dad? Who was right? Who was wrong? Was Ruby alive? Dead? A monster? Just a sad, lonely, little girl? Did she really come back?

Then I had the most worrying thought of all.

Where was she?

"D-dad?" I began, getting his attention.

"Yes?" He acknowledged.

"W-where-" I tried to say. I paused, gulping, too scared to know the answer.

"W-where's Ruby?" I asked, finally

With that, he got a hard look on his face. It was a look of conviction, steely determination, and regret.

"Yang, I know you don't want to hear this…" He began, throwing my heart into a pit.

_No_

"But that thing is a monster, and it's defacing the memory of your sister." He continued, terror taking root in me.

_Don't say it._

"And Yang…"

_Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it!_

"We _KILL_ monsters." He declared softly, yet with a face of firm steel and iron.

"Y-you _killed_ her?" I asked in horror, terror, some emotion I don't even know how to verbalize.

He sighed, leaning away from me.

"No, I wasn't able to. It's all kind of a blur, but I think she got away somehow." He explained, a look of defeat, of loss, on him. He really felt like he missed out on killing Ruby, like the monster got away from him.

"I don't know where the demon is now, but I'll find her Yang, I promise. I won't let that monster fill your sister's legacy with blood and madness. We'll kill that demon." He vowed, but it wasn't the one I wanted to hear.

I couldn't-I just _couldn't_

I couldn't think about it like that.

I didn't _want_ to think like that.

I didn't want to think at all!

All that filled my mind were thoughts about my little sister being a demon, being a monster, and me having to kill her.

Do I have to kill her? Is she even a monster? Is Dad right? Is he insane?

 _No, I can't have dad be insane, I can't have this family break down even more! It's barely holding on as is. I_ _need_ _him to be sane._ I thought

But, could I believe my own sister was really dead? And that a Demon had taken her place? That I needed to kill her?

But what if dad was wrong? What if she was still the same, sad, lonely, little girl I thought she was? What if she was scared and alone right now, and instead of comforting her like the good big sister I should be, I'm thinking about how I should kill her?

What if I _do_ kill her?

What if I kill her, but it's really Ruby, not a monster? I can't do that, I _can't_ be responsible for my own sister's death.

 _Not again_.

Suddenly I was hot, I was too crowded. I needed to get out, I needed to be alone.

"I need to go," I whispered, horror, terror, and fear consuming my thoughts.

Dad nodded, understanding. "I know it's hard to accept. Take your time." He said, letting go of me.

I walked to the door, my eyes wide and my face frozen in shock. I opened the door to the cold air outside and walked out.

I walked, slowly marching forward, my feet taking me into the forest.

Then I jogged.

Then I ran.

I ran, me long, golden, hair whipping behind me. Tears trailing down my face as I yelled, screamed.

My aura flared as my eyes ran red.

I just had something that I needed to get _out_.

* * *

**Glynda pov**

The next day I took Ms. Rose out with me to go shopping for school supplies. The next couple of weeks would be…difficult…for the both of us.

Apparently, Taiyang had taken Ms. Rose out of school while she was still quite young, still in elementary school even. While they did manage to home school her well enough for her to read, write, do basic math, and have a basic understanding of some history, the fact is, she is severely lacking in the academic areas.

As a result, I would have to help bring her up to Beacon's academic level. That meant I needed to buy even more materials for the girl than I would normally have to, all to help teach her at an accelerated rate.

Even if she was some kind of savant with an eidetic memory, she wouldn't be completely ready when school started, meaning she would need remedial lessons. Lessons I would likely provide.

I sighed, already exhausted just thinking about it.

The only real saving grace was Ms. Rose herself. Despite how…creepy…she could be, it appeared to be incidental. She didn't actually try, or like, to be creepy, it just happened. Once you got past that…she was actually quite nice.

"So, we have to wear uniforms?" She asked curiously as we walked through the store.

"Yes." I politely responded.

"Why?" She asked.

Had it been anyone else, I would have suspected that question to be one of sass. I would have suspected she was questioning my authority, and that she was just being difficult.

However, I had learned something about the young girl.

She's naturally quite curious, and often asks questions about everything she doesn't understand. She also tends to be quite...blunt. While she does keep her more venomous thoughts to herself, her lack of social contact as severely hampered her ability to censor herself.

So, in this case, she wasn't being difficult, she genuinely wanted to know what purpose uniforms served at the school, she just wasn't being terribly polite about it.

I sighed. that was actually a complicated question to answer.

"There are actually several answers for that. First, tradition, uniforms have been a part of the school for years." I answered.

"There has to be more than that?" She said skeptically, a brow raised in suspicion.

"Indeed. Another reason is because it brings the school together under one banner. A more…modern…reason is that nowadays the young men and women who attend the school don't always wear the most…sensible…things." I explained.

"Oh…like Yang?" She suggested, understanding.

My mind flashed back to when I read up on Ms. Rose's older sister. Someone who had an…affinity…for showing skin.

"Yes…like your sister." I grimaced.

Ms. Xiao-long would likely be a nightmare to teach. That's not even taking into account the fact we have to keep her from discovering that her sister, who her father vowed to kill, is attending the school.

"Will they have a uniform my size?" She asked.

It was a good question.

Ms. Rose, at 4 feet 8 inches, was quite a bit shorter than the average student. In fact, she was easily the shortest student to be attending this year. Another example of the odd stunted growth of the young girl.

"No, likely not. That is why we are going to the store now, to get a set of custom-fitted uniforms for you. It'll take time for them to make them." I explained

She nodded her head in acceptance.

* * *

That's essentially how the rest of the day went, going around getting school supplies.

She was…oddly pleasant. Especially considering how I was worried she would act after the incident at the hospital. Then there was the part about her being a sociopath. Ozpin said he wasn't sure she was, but there were the things she said about caring about people.

So far, Ozpin appeared to be right. He said that just because she was a potential sociopath didn't mean she was some kind of serial killer to be. Well, aside from her colder, hollower, attitude, she was actually quite inquisitive.

I found myself oddly enjoying her company.

However, when we got to my house, she did ask me an odd question.

"Ms. Goodwitch?" She asked, getting my attention.

"Yes, Ms. Rose?' I acknowledged.

"Why did you become a teacher?" She asked, staring at me with those soul-piercing silver eyes.

There was something…stirring…behind those eyes. I don't really know what it was. There was curiosity, and something else.

It wasn't a totally unexpected or weird question, but something in those hollow eyes put me on guard.

"Well…I guess it's because…I enjoy teaching. While many people, students and staff alike, will tell you…disreputable…things about me, the fact is, I enjoy teaching. I love children, I wouldn't be able to teach if I didn't. I simply…believe in using a firmer hand than most to instruct them." I explained to her.

She seemed to consider this for a moment, tilting her head in thought.

I was about to leave the room when she spoke up again.

"So you do it because you enjoy it?" she clarified.

"Umm…." I began, feeling somewhat suspicious. I don't know why, but I felt like I was being hunted. Like I was the prey, and she the predator. I felt like this was a trap, but I couldn't figure out why, so, I ignored it.

"Yes, yes I do." In answered cautiously.

"So, you do it for you?" She asked again.

"Yes?" I answered suspiciously.

"So we're not so different then." She asserted.

"Pardon?" I asked

"I know you've been thinking about what Ozpin said about me, and what I said in the hospital. You've been thinking about how different I am, and how you're going to teach me, right?" She explained with a small smile.

I nodded dumbly, stunned that she was perceptive enough to pick up on all of those things.

"So I thought about how I could fix that. That way I could help make you understand." She continued.

"How does this help?" I frowned, not understanding.

"Because, I'm the same. I do what I do because I want to feel good, like you. We both do what we do for ourselves." She elaborated with a small smile.

Then, with that sentence, I understood what she was getting at.

"No, it's not like that. I don't do it for selfish reasons, I do what I do to help others." I explained

She tilted her head in confusion, "But, you do it because it makes you feel good, right?"

"Well, yes but-" I began

"So you do it for yourself." She interrupted.

"No, I don't. I'm not selfish, or self-centered." I countered curtly

"But helping people makes you feel good, that's why you do it. Not for them, but for you. If it didn't make you feel good, you wouldn't do it, you said it yourself." She argued, frowning.

I wanted to shout at her, to yell at her. I wanted to tell her to stop it, to shut up. I wanted to tell her she didn't understand because she was just a child.

And that's what stopped me.

She's a child.

A perceptive child, but a child nonetheless. I needed to stop thinking of her being normal 15 year old, because she wasn't.

In addition, she technically had a point. I may not have wanted to admit it, but she had a point. Not a great one, necessarily, I doubt she truly understood what I was saying given her lack of empathy. It's hard to explain to explain a desire to help others to someone who lacks such a basic impulse, but I knew that going into this.

I took a breath, and relaxed, letting the anger flow out of me.

I was a grown woman, not some moody teenager. I could resolve this without resorting to shouting.

"Ms. Rose, why are you doing this?" I asked, getting to the heart of it.

She frowned, sighed, and looked back at me. He face was, as usual, mostly blank and hollow, but there was a measure of…annoyance…in her eyes. It was small, very small, but there.

"I just wanted to try and get you to…to understand. The first step was to try and establish common ground." She tried to explain.

"Okay, so you tried to get me to understand…what?" I asked, trying to get her to explain it in her own words.

She sighed in annoyance, though it was rather calm and muted annoyance, and covered with a bored look.

"No one else gets me, not really. My family fears me, my dad wants to kill me. Most everyone I've ever met think I'm creepy. Not that I've actually met many people." She began, looking off somewhere.

She then redirected her gaze towards me once more.

"So, I thought it would be better if you understood me if you're going to be teaching me. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." She explained.

I sighed, feeling a multitude of feelings. Frustration, relief, sympathy, some I didn't even know how to verbalize.

So, she just wanted to make a connection with me? Well, in that case, maybe she wasn't as broken as I thought. She was undoubtedly broken, shattered, really, but perhaps not as badly as I thought.

Despite what she was saying, I believe I understood what she _really_ wanted.

She was…lonely…essentially. Not surprising really. Her father just disowned her, and she doesn't appear to have much faith in the rest of her family still caring about her either.

She seems to have been alienated by her family, accidentally or otherwise I don't know. Considering how isolated she's been by her family, prevented from going to school and having friends, it's likely the case that she doesn't know anyone else.

 _Well, except for whoever Lucifer is_. I thought

So, taking all that into consideration, despite how shattered she was, despite how hollow, how inquisitive, she was still a lonely little girl. And she wanted what all people wanted, to be understood, to not be alone, to be loved.

She just…had difficulties expressing that.

"It's fine, you just…you need to learn how to be more…tactful…I suppose." I responded finally, carefully wording myself.

"Really?" She asked skeptically, surprised by how well I was taking this.

"Yes, I recognize that you have…a lack of experience, when it comes to social interactions. You can be quite blunt, come across as having an attitude, and being aggressive in conversations." I explained

"Not my fault." She retorted, pouting slightly.

"I never said it was. It is the fault of those who kept you from interacting with people, with those who isolated you." I explained.

"So that's what you're here for, right? You're here to teach me, to get me ready for school." She asked.

"More than that…Ruby…I am a teacher, and as such, I am here to prepare you for life." I explained, tentatively deciding to take a leap and use her first name.

As much as I distanced myself from most of my students, I found I just couldn't do the same to this shattered little girl.

I wanted to help her, from the moment I laid eyes on her I wanted to protect and aide her.

No matter how much I wanted to, I just couldn't distance myself from her, I just kept getting closer.

The more I learned about this broken young girl, this living, broken, doll, the more I wanted to fix her, to put her back together. I wanted to learn how she got like this, what broke her, what turned her into this doll.

* * *

**Yang pov**

I stood alone in the forest, no one around for miles.

Well…

 _Former_ forest.

I had spent hours here, kicking, screaming, raging, and killing Grimm. I was covered in blood, cuts, and bruises. My aura would heal it well enough, I wasn't concerned about that.

The area around me looked like it had been hit by a tornado of fire and destruction.

I smiled weakly at that thought, I guess it had.

The sun was coming up now, it was officially morning. I had spent all night out here, in the forest, killing Grimm and destroying everything in my path.

I let out a shaky breath, and with it, all my frustration, anger, sadness, and confusion.

After dad had come, and told me the news.

That he had tried to kill Ruby,

That Ruby was a killer

That Ruby might not be Ruby

That he didn't know where Ruby was anymore

I just…I needed this.

I needed to come out here and think.

To destroy, to tire myself out kicking and screaming.

And I did.

And it worked.

I knew what I was going to do.

Earlier, I had debated whether or not I was going to still go to Beacon. I was considering just looking for Ruby instead, trying to find her, and with her, the truth.

But then I realized that was pointless.

If Dad and Qrow couldn't find her, then I sure wouldn't be able to.

So, instead, I would still go to Beacon, but would insist to dad that he tell me if he found Ruby. I wanted to hear her side of the story. I wanted to see for myself if my sister really was a demon or not.

I had to know the truth for myself, I had to learn for myself if I needed to kill my own sister, or save her from my father's madness.

I didn't _want_ to believe my father was insane, but it was either that or believe my little sister has been replaced by some demon and I needed to kill her.

I wouldn't just throw the opportunity given to us when she came back to us.

I couldn't just kill baby sister, nor could I just believe my father was insane.

It just wasn't that simple. I didn't want either of them to be true, and yet, it was one or the other.

So, I decided I would hunt down the truth, I wouldn't make a decision one way or another until I knew more.

 _But_ I thought _If dad was right..._

If there was some monster, walking around, pretending to be her, and defiling her name...

 _If that's the truth..._ I thought, my aura flaring again.

 _Then I Will KILL It! I WILL KILL IT WITH FIRE AND FURY! NOTHING WILL STOP ME FROM AVENGING MY PRECIOUS LITTLE SISTER!_ I thought as I punched a hole in another tree, causing it to fall with a resounding _THUD_.

* * *

**? pov**

"Right, so...you remember what to do when you get to school right?" He asked me, concern on his face.

"Be a good girl," I answered with a smile.

"Which means?" He asked

"No killing," I answered teasingly, knowing what he was really seeking.

" _And..._?"

"No torture."

He sighed tiredly.

"Why do you even need to ask? It's not like I've done any of that for years. That's not who I am anymore." I asked, genuinely curious.

"I'm worried about you, okay. I may have saved you, but you still have over 12 years of mental conditioning working against you." He responded sincerely

" _Yes~_... _saved_." I responded with flat look.

He sighed again, knowing full well how I felt about this.

"I know you don't mind what happened, but trust me, that wasn't good for you, it wasn't healthy." He explained.

"No, I was extremely healthy." I countered.

"No, I mean _mentally_ healthy, not physically." He groaned.

"Maybe I happened to _like_ my mind?" I retorted teasingly

"It wasn't healthy, you weren't sane." He explained

"And I am now?" I questioned with a raised brow

Once again, he sighed.

"You're getting better. The treatments are working, they _are_ helping put you back together."

"I was together in the first place?" I questioned

" _Kokkinos_." He said with a sigh, calling me by my first name, getting tired of my teasing.

Like a flipped switch I went from teasing and sweet to obedient.

"Yes master," I responded, bowing my head in submission. I immediately shifted into attention, standing straight up with my feet together. My hands were collapsed together in front of me.

He sighed again,

"How many times have I told you, I'm not your master. Stop calling me that." He insisted.

"Legally, you are." I corrected.

He groaned again, likely questioning his decision to buy me all those years ago

"Just...just try to be a good girl, okay? A good, nice, normal, girl, okay?" He pleaded

"Whatever you ask master," I responded calmly.

"Look, I just want you to be happy, okay?" He asked, a concerned look on his face.

"Well, considering it _is_ Beacon, one of the most prestigious hunter academies in the world, it shouldn't be too hard," I answered

"Yeah, I know. Just...don't kill any students, okay?"

"Didn't I already agree to that?" I asked

"That was a request, this is an order, _do not kill anyone at school_." He clarified, "Understood?"

"Yes master, I shall not kill anyone at school.\," I answered robotically.

He sighed again

"I suppose that's the best I'm going to get, isn't it?" He asked rhetorically.

"Don't worry master, I won't let you down. I'll be the best at the school, whatever it takes. I shall not fail." I declared with a smile.

" _Stop calling me that!_ " He moaned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, now we got some of Yang's perspective as she struggles to find the truth.
> 
> AND
> 
> More broken home stories
> 
> And Ruby and Glynda bond, maybe?
> 
> And...
> 
> ...mystery girl...
> 
> Yea
> 
> Also, Taiyang actually has a logic to his madness, which, as I understand it, is usually how it works.
> 
> Insanity doesn't equal murder party and violence, there has to be a certain logic to it, which he has.
> 
> Unfortunately, that's how it tends to work in fiction, if someone's crazy or mad, then they're likely violent.
> 
> That's not how it really works.
> 
> That's how it can work, but again, it needs a certain logic to get there.
> 
> Taiyang's is that his daughter is dead, and there is a demon/monster that has possessed her, or has taken her skin, and impersonated her. It has done this all for the purpose of killing and murdering people in his daughter's name, ruining her memory.
> 
> In any case, next scene we finally get to Beacon
> 
> This was basically setup for Beacon
> 
> In any case, tell me if I'm doing this right, or I fucked something up. More importantly, though, tell me if you got any of my hints. If you did, then I'll pm you a small explanation for the hint.


	5. Scene 5: Careless Daydreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first Scene of Beacon, and a lighter Scene in general

**Ruby Pov**

Well, it had been a few weeks since I got accepted into Beacon. The entire time I had stayed with Ms. Goodwitch, since I couldn't exactly stay with my family, what with them trying to kill me and everything.

Ms. Goodwitch has been…surprisingly nice. I mean, I don't trust her much yet, if I ever do.

I mean, I trust her not to try to kill me. She wants to help me, why, I don't know. I don't understand why she's doing what she's doing with me, I don't really understand why she likes me.

But, I know she does.

For now. I don't know how long that'll last. I don't know enough about her to be certain. Given my experiences with my family, I can't help but feel that once she discovers I'm not what she want me to be, or I don't live up to her expectations then she'll discard me.

Then again, she doesn't have an old Ruby to compare me to.

Even still, I can't tell her everything. Ms. Goodwitch and Ozpin have asked what happened to me and my family that caused all this.

* * *

"So, Ruby…what…happened." Ms. Goodwitch asked slowly and awkwardly.

At the time I was reading one of the history books she had gotten me. Seeing as how I had been starved for knowledge ever since I had been taken out of school, I was greedily soaking up all the information Ms. Goodwitch sought to give me.

But this question was an important question that I needed to handle. So, I tore my eyes from the book, and gazed at her, tilting my head in thought as I both considered what she was really asking, and how to respond.

"You want to know how I got like this, don't you?" I asked back. I wanted her to say it.

"I…yes, I do. I want to know what happened to cause all this…madness…with you and your family. What turned you into a-a...broken doll of a girl?" She answered honestly, yet tentatively. She still felt like she had to walk on eggshells around me, not out of fear, but out of concern for hurting my feelings. I wish she'd just figure out already that she can't hurt my feelings any worse than my father did.

I nodded in understanding, getting why she would ask, and what she wanted to know.

Still…

"Hmm….I'm not telling you," I said, calmly shaking my head, after a moment of thought. I turned my attention back to the book. I had established my position, and nothing she said could change it.

"What? Why not?" She asked, reeling in shock from my denial of her whims.

"Because, I don't know if I can trust you enough for that yet," I answered truthfully in a bored tone, not even bothering to look up at her.

"Can't trust me?" She said, shocked and hurt I would say that. I could tell, though, there was more than that in there. "Why not? What have I not done to earn your trust?"

"It's not that simple," I responded, mildly annoyed. Though it still came out as more bored than anything. Apparently, she still didn't get it.

"What could be so horrible that you don't trust me to know the truth? Do you really think so little of me as to think that I'd betray you like that?" She questioned, hurt by my statements.

And with that, I tore my eyes from my book once more, stared her straight in the eyes with a mildly annoyed, yet bored, look and simply said, "My father did."

And with that, she closed her mouth with an audible _click_. That one argument had cut through her reasoning, all because it was true.

"If I couldn't trust my own father, my own flesh and blood, the man who was supposed to raise, love, and protect me, the man I knew for years, then why should I trust a woman I just met a few days ago? No matter how nice she is." I explained critically as I stared her down with a blank face.

After a moment of silence, a moment where she looked down and realized how she was behaving.

"I…I must apologize, Ruby, I didn't think about it like that. I'm sorry for…being presumptuous." She apologized earnestly.

"If it helps, I trust you more than almost anyone else," I added.

"Almost?" She questioned quizzically.

"Yeah, I like Lucifer and Garm more," I explained.

"And who are they?" She asked

I gave her a mildly annoyed look, one that told her, _"Didn't we just have this conversation?"_

She sighed, realizing that getting me to trust her enough to tell her everything would take a while. She wanted to be mad, or annoyed, at me. She wanted to demand that I tell her everything, but….she knew that wouldn't be very effective. More to the point, she could see where I was coming from.

How could I trust her when I couldn't even trust the ones I loved?

So instead, she took a breath, released her anger, and looked back down at me.

"Okay, Ruby, I…understand. I will give you the time to choose when you tell me, I won't push you. Just know, if you ever want to talk, I'm here. Okay?" She said to me sincerely.

"…we'll see," I answered cryptically, returning my gaze to my book.

* * *

So, for now, I can trust her enough to stay with her. Like I said, at this point Ms. Goodwitch is one of the only people I can trust enough to rely on. She's…endeared herself to me. I like her, she's nice.

Unlike the rest of my family, she doesn't have an old Ruby she'll constantly be comparing me to. I won't have to suffer being constantly reminded that I'm not the same, to feel like I'm not good enough for them.

Unlike them, Ms. Goodwitch has been rather nice and understanding.

More importantly, she's been incredibly helpful, teaching me more than I ever knew existed. Most of it has been history, since my knowledge on the history of Remnant is nearly non-existent and it's a somewhat important course at the school. I simply know the barebones basics. I didn't even know how much I didn't know.

She also brought me to the forge at the school, introducing me to the smiths and engineers there.

They were nice too, but that's mainly because Ms. Goodwitch was there, and she scared them.

That being said, regardless of how weird they were, they were helpful in coming up with designs for a new weapon.

I'd never get rid of the Rose, my scythe, but I had plans to make another one. I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to call it, but at this time I'm going with the Rose MK II. Considering I'll actually have access to hunter-grade materials and manufacturing practices, it should be exponentially better than the MK I.

However, the plans for the Rose MK II are rather complicated, and I'm still working out the kinks. Right now it's mostly just ideas, untapped potential, without any real way to make them work. In the meantime, I still need a ranged weapon, but not too big since I'll still be using the Rose MK I.

So, I came up with the Thorn. It's just a sidearm. A large caliber side arm, but a side arm nonetheless. It wasn't too difficult to make, though when I finally made the thing most people looked at it like it was some kind of unholy abomination.

I mean, I guess it was big, firing .65 caliber rounds and being 1.5 feet long, but I thought it was the single most beautiful thing I had ever made. That being said, it was quite simple. It fired big bullet that exploded, nothing complicated there. Though, due to the high explosive dust within each round, they were extremely expensive, meaning I needed to use my shots sparingly. I had regular rounds, but I wasn't sure that they would be as effective against Grimm.

Frankly, I didn't know, I could only guess at how effective it would be. It needed real combat trials to actually determine where I needed to improve. As time went on, I hoped I would learn more about both weapons, work out the kinks, and make them more effective. Trial and error is, honestly, the most effective method for development. Making something, testing it, having it fail, but learning from that failure. Learning, and improving.

In any case, I spent the rest of the week learning more from Ms. Goodwitch, while also taking some time to tinker with the Thorn. Still, though, my studies took up most of my time, and I ended up not being able to really field test it like I wanted.

We also came up with a cover story for Lilith Totenrot.

Lilith Totenrot is the niece of Ms. Goodwitch. She lived happily in a village a little ways outside the city walls with her loving family, and helped out a little on their farm.

Then, one day, the Grimm attacked. She watched everyone she knew in the village die to them, and she only barely managed to survive thanks to her surprising skills with a simple farming scythe, and the previous activation of her aura by Ms. Goodwitch when she visited once. When rescuers found her, Lilith was still slicing through a small horde of Grimm, fighting and running for her life.

Ms. Goodwitch is her only living relative now, and that is why Lilith is staying with her. Because of that, and her extensive skill as a potential huntress, Lilith was able to attend Beacon early.

The cover has some holes in it, but it's not supposed to be something I explain to everyone, just something I draw from if anyone gets too curious or pushy. That's why it's so dark and violent.

If anyone asks about how I managed to get into Beacon so early, all I have to say is, "I was the sole survivor of a Grimm attack on my village. I managed to impress the school with how I managed to fight for my life while I watched everyone I knew die in front of me." The second I say that, they'll probably feel extremely awkward and drop the subject.

People are weird like that.

I'd be more curious than ever, but that's just me.

In any case, Ms. Goodwitch introduced me as Lilith Totenrot, her niece, to all the staff, explaining the basics of my cover. How Ms. Goodwitch is supposed to be my only living relative and that I impressed the school.

They accepted it well enough. They had questions, but when the sternest teacher in the school is endorsing my enrollment, what could they say to change Ozpin's mind?

Still though, I could tell when they met me that I made them uneasy. They didn't even know why, something inside them just didn't like my presence. I _knew_ why it happened, but I couldn't do anything about it. It was outside my control.

It's one of the reasons I liked Ms. Goodwitch. She's the only person I've ever met who hasn't thought I was creepy, or at least, was able to push past without resentment or fear. It was…nice…having someone who wasn't scared of me.

Well, having someone _else_ not scared of me.

She was also one of the few people I could actually hold a conversation with without them trying to run away.

It's for these reasons that I was considering taking her up on her offer.

Ms. Goodwitch explained to me that during initiation we would be assigned teams and partners. Normally, after teams were assigned, we would stay with our team in a dorm. Ms. Goodwitch, however, offered to let me continue to stay with her as she continued to educate me. I would still go to classes with my team, but I just wouldn't be sleeping in the same dorm as them.

I think she did this because of her knowledge of both my trust issues and my antisocial personality. That, and the fact that I'll probably creep out anybody I room with, and the last thing I need is to be stuck in a room filled with three people afraid of me.

Ozpin, after thinking it over, allowed it. As much as he wanted me to bond with my team, he could understand the logic of not having me stay with them, especially considering what my own father did to me. It would be best if I could stay with someone I could trust, and while I didn't trust Ms. Goodwitch completely, I trusted her enough.

But, I'd have to see who my teammates were before I decided to follow through on that. If they were too annoying, or too nosy, I would definitely follow through. Then again, considering human nature, they probably would be.

 _Why did people have to be so complicated?_ I sighed.

Speaking of teams, that's what I was doing right now.

It was the day before initiation, the day when everyone got here, and I was waiting for the first Bullhead to arrive. I was scouting out who I wanted to be on my team, judging them for who was the best and most compatible with me.

Ms. Goodwitch didn't tell me how they would be picking teams, but she did say that the first two people to meet eyes would become partners for the rest of their time in Beacon.

I think Ozpin wanted to leave this stuff to fate or destiny. That, or he just wanted to see what would happen if he left everything to chance, hoping something amusing would come up.

In any case, it would be most prudent for me to pick someone I can get along with, or would synergize most effectively with.

The only problem…was how.

I had terrible social skills, even with Ms. Goodwitch's help. I would probably scare anyone off if I tried to confront them upfront, or not get the relevant data. I mean, I could _try_ to talk to them, fail miserably, and end up with an idea about their personality, but no idea how they fought.

I groaned again, frowning slightly from my position.

_Why did this have to be so hard?_

So, until I came up with a better plan, I would just watch them from the shadows, staying out of it completely.

Finally, the first Bullhead arrived and began to unload people. And right at the head of the pack was her.

Yang.

My sister.

She felt…happier, than I ever recalled seeing her when I was around.

Once again I felt that pang in my chest, I felt that _hurt_.

She didn't seem like she missed me. In fact, she seemed happier without me.

 _Would she be better off if I died?_ I wondered sadly.

Then I felt a surge of anger, of frustration, rise in me.

_After all I did for them?! After all I did to come back? For them?!_

My frown deepened as my thoughts turned to rage. I glared at her with all my heart, jealous that she could have what I could not, and she didn't even need to work for it, not like I did.

Soon, however, she ran off to join her… _friends_.

I sighed, letting out a hot breath of anger. I let the anger flow out of me, refusing to let it control me.

Soon, it had simmered down. It was still there, it would _always_ be there, so long as I knew those _traitors_ I thought were my family were there, but it wasn't nearly as present.

I loved my family with all my heart, I did, but I had given them chance after chance to prove themselves to me. There was only so much betrayal I could take from them, only so much the could make me _hurt_ before I pushed back. I would give them one last chance. I would give them each one last chance to turn this around, to prove that they were worthy of my love, my sacrifice, before I would leave them forever.

I quickly lost track of her, though I could have stalked her easily if I wanted to. I didn't though. The last thing I wanted to do was watch the subject of my _hurt_ walk around, having fun I had been deprived of. Yang's chance to prove herself to me would come one day, but not now.

So absorbed I was in the thoughts of my sister, that I lost track of my surroundings.

"Uh, hey. Are you alright?" A young male voice asked from behind me.

Surprised, I whirled around as fast as I could, backing up so my back was against the cold, stone, pillar.

In response to my abrupt reaction, he backed off and held his hands up in a surrendering position, trying to show he didn't mean any harm.

He had pale, lightly tanned skin. Well, lightly tanned compared to my alabaster white skin. He had blond hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a black hoodie and jeans. Over the hoodie, he wore a white set of armor.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to startle you! I just…I don't know, you looked…upset. You looked lonely over here, I just wanted to know if I could help." He apologized, explaining his actions. He was being honest and was very much sorry for startling me. More importantly, he didn't seem to be…unsettled by me.

I stared into his blue eyes, filled with hope, life, and…doubt. Doubt and loneliness.

_Interesting. No fear of me, specifically, just fear of…something else._

I thought, intrigued, as I continued to stare at him, my head cocked to the side in thought.

As I continued to stare at him, however, I began to sense some unease in him.

"Um…so…are you okay?" He asked awkwardly.

It was at this time that I remembered what Ms. Goodwitch said about staring.

Realizing that I was _now_ probably creeping him out, what, with my silent, unblinking stare, I decided to break my silence.

"Sorry," I muttered

"Sorry? Why are you sorry?" He asked, confused

"I was staring, staring's rude," I answered calmly

"Oh…okay." He said, slightly caught off guard by that, but in the end rolling with it.

"I'm not…great…with people." I explained, frowning ever so slightly at being forced to acknowledge my deficiencies.

"Yeah, me neither. Never really had many friends." He explained. Though I doubted he truly understood my struggle, it was still interesting to find someone else socially awkward.

He then perked up and held out his hand to me.

"Anyway, my name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, ladies love it!" He introduced cheerfully.

I stared at his hand for a second, then at him, then at the hand again.

When I noticed that his smile began to falter I finally decided to take his hand.

He was…weird…but that wasn't a bad thing.

"My name's Lilith Totenrot," I answered, shaking his hand softly.

At that, his smile returned, twice as wide and bright. I had to put a stop to that.

"But, why would ladies love your name?" I asked curiously, tilting my head again as I did so.

His smile vanished and he visibly deflated. He let out a sigh of defeat.

"I don't know, they probably don't. My dad just said all I needed to get girls was confidence." He explained dejectedly

I raised a brow at that.

"Are you saying you were trying to "get" me?" I asked innocently, not understanding what he meant by "get girls"

When I said this, his face basically turned into what I can best describe as an "OH GOD NO." expression of horror.

"No! No no no, no. Just…no. Just, no. Okay? I wasn't hitting on you, I was just trying to be nice." He exclaimed in panic, then he leant down to my level.

"Please don't tell anyone I said that. I don't want to be known as a pedophile." He pleaded

"Pedophile?" I questioned. I felt like I had heard it before, but I don't remember what it meant. I think it meant he liked feet, but I don't know what that had to do with anything.

"Please, please, _please_ , don't tell anyone about that! I'll do anything you want!" He continued, getting on his hands and knees as he ignored my question.

 _Wait, anything?_ I thought in surprise. Anything had uses, anything had potential.

I could use anything.

" _Anything_?" I asked, wanting to make sure.

"Yes! Yes! _Anything_ , just don't let people know I tried to hit on a little girl! I'm too pretty for jail!" He proclaimed to me.

I smiled, a small, yet sweetly sinister smile.

"Okay, then be my servant," I answered, a small measure of joy in my voice.

"…What?" He asked, stunned by my request.

 _Yes, know I remember what a pedophile is. Jaune probably_ _isn't_ _a pedophile, as they are creepy but easy to manipulate. That being said, most people think pedophiles are the worst, most disgusting people on Remnant. I disagree, but most people are weird._ I thought.

"You heard me, be my servant, pledge your loyalty to me," I answered.

He then gave a nervous chuckle.

"He, he, I don't know, that seems like…a lot." He said nervously, trying to back out

But I wouldn't let him get away.

"Oh, so you're saying you _want_ me to tell Ms. Goodwitch that you tried to seduce her young niece?" I asked, a small sweet smile still on my face.

I had him trapped.

He gulped loudly, just now realizing how much he messed up.

"Y-your Ms. Goodwitch's niece?" He questioned in horror.

"Yep!" I cheerfully responded, joy filling me at my success.

At that he paled considerably, almost reaching my porcelain-like skin. He broke out into a cold sweat and his eyes widened into small, blue, moons.

"I'm staying with her here at Beacon." I continued, throwing his heart further and further into the pit, gleeful all the way.

"I-I…okay, I'll do it. What do I have to do?" He submitted finally, hanging his head in defeat.

 _Wow, that was surprisingly easy. One teammate down, two to go._ I thought, pleased at my current development.

I would have Jaune as my partner, he was…fun…and nice. I could get a lot of entertainment out of this poor boy if he continued to act like this.

_Though, if I push him too far…hmm._

When I thought about that I realized I couldn't be too zealous about this. If I pushed Jaune too hard, and was too harsh to him, I'd end up pushing away someone else I might be able to trust. I had to find the perfect balance. Otherwise, he could betray me.

And with that thought, I decided to lay off the poor boy.

"Okay, you have to…" I began, pausing as I considered my options.

He braced himself for my judgment, waiting for some silly, emasculating, embarrassing request like, "go get me cookies." Or "give me a ride.". He was fully prepared to have his reputation ruined as he was forced to lower himself to being this little girl's servant, along with all the embarrassing things that likely came with it.

What he wasn't expecting, was my request.

"Be my friend here," I answered finally. People were faithful to their friends. They cared about them, trusted them, and didn't betray them.

While I didn't really care about Jaune _too_ much, he had endeared himself to me. He was interesting and nice to me. Plus he wasn't put off by my creepiness.

When I asked him to be my friend, his head shot up in surprise. In response I gave him a small, weak, smile, trying to portray my sincerity.

When he saw that his own face lit up in shock.

"I think I can do that." He answered, a small, soft, and fond smile melting its way onto his face.

He got up from his position on the ground, patted his jeans to shake the dirt off them.

"So, Lilith, can I do anything else for you?" he asked

I thought about it. I didn't really need him for anything else right now. That being said, I was curious…

"You're a new student right?" I asked

"Uh, yeah." He answered, though there was something…lurking…behind it. I think it was….guilt, mixed with doubt and fear.

Disregarding it, sensing no real negative emotions coming from him directed at anyone other than himself, I continued.

"So what are your weapons?" I asked.

I wanted to know if my gamble actually paid off. It would be best if his fighting style complimented mine. It wasn't necessary, I wouldn't abandon him if he didn't. I wouldn't be like my family, and abandon him just because he wasn't exactly what I wanted. That being said, it would still be nice to know.

"Oh!" He said, perking up. "I have this."

He pulled out a sword and scabbard from his side.

With a push of the button his scabbard opened up into a shield.

"I have this sword and shield. It's been in my family for generations." He explained with a small degree of pride.

 _Not too proud, though. Not arrogant. That's good, though all that doubt will be a problem_. I thought.

More importantly, he used a sword and shield. After a cursory look at his weapons, I could tell that they appeared to be relatively well made. They should be able to withstand all but the strongest attacks, which is good news for the both of us.

 _Sword and shield. I can definitely work with that._ I thought as I nodded approvingly at his gear.

"I know they're not as fancy as some other people's stuff, but-" He began, once again sinking into doubt.

I cut him off before he could put himself down too much, though.

"No, it's okay. The shield and sword are the basics for a reason, never doubt them. Simplicity doesn't mean weakness, after all. I mean, look at mine." I cut him off, drawing Rose from behind me.

With a simple flick of the wrist, Rose extended. The pole telescoped out and the blade unfolded.

"Whoa." He said, surprised that I had a scythe.

"See, mine's simple too, it's just a scythe, nothing really fancy about it. And yet, it's been my faithful weapon for years." I explained with a small smile as I thought about making the Rose, and how much I've used it for all these years.

"Cool." He said approvingly

Then he looked down at his own weapons in thought for a minute before looking back up at me.

"I guess I never thought about it like that. I always just saw how every other hunter had a fancy weapon that could turn into different things. Like a sword cannon or something." He answered.

At the mention of a sword cannon, I had a small daydream about how that could work, as well as how effective that would be.

_The barrel could be hidden in the center of the sword, making up its core. Then again, that would probably cause problems with the barrel overheating. I suppose you could solve that with properly placed vents, but then you might compromise the structural integrity of the sword. I guess you could put a cooling system inside the sword, but that would severely limit how much usable space you had in the sword. Conversely, you could just make it so you could only fire every once in a while. That would certainly fit in with the whole "cannon" theme._

It didn't take Jaune to notice that I was lost in my own little world.

"Uh, Lily? Hello?" He asked, waving his hand in front of my face.

While that _did_ get my attention, it's not how he would have liked.

" _Lily_?" I questioned. My voice was as cold as the empty void of death, and my glare colder.

Realizing his mistake, Jaune chuckled nervously.

"Right, sorry, not Lily. That's a stupid name, your name's _Lilith_. Got it." He said, trying to backpedal into my good graces.

As usual, my anger almost instantly bled off into mild annoyance. I wasn't _really_ mad at him, but I wanted him to think I was, at least for a moment.

"So long as you remember that," I answered dismissively.

I paused, thinking for a second more before I decided to make a suggestion to him.

"Jaune, you need a gun," I suggested.

"Huh? I thought you said simplicity was good?" He questioned, now confused.

"Yes, but you need range," I explained.

"You don't need to add anything to your sword, just a little something to give you options, like I did." I continued as I pulled out the Thorn.

"OH GOD WHAT IS THAT!?" He exclaimed in surprise.

"Why does everyone ask that?" I muttered in annoyance and confusion.

"It's the size of your arm!" He shouted.

I looked at the Thorn again, realizing that, while it wasn't _technically_ as big as my arm, it _was_ close.

"Huh," I said simply at the realization.

"You want me to have something like that?" He questioned incredulously.

I pondered that question for a moment before responding, tilting my head in thought.

"Maybe. It can be anything you want. You could have a small shotgun, hand cannon, machine pistol, anything." I answered.

"I don't think I'll be using that monster." He responded, pointing at the Thorn.

I glared silently at him again, making him back down.

"It's not a monster." I seethed coldly, "It's a beauty" I continued, looking fondly at the Thorn.

He looked down at the Thorn skeptically. " _Right_." He said sardonically.

Despite his sarcastic comment, he wisely held his tongue and neglected to say anything else about my beautiful hand cannon.

 _Well, at least he's learning_. I thought to myself.

We continued to talk for a bit when he realized something.

"Wait, aren't we supposed to go somewhere?" He questioned.

"Yep, the auditorium. Ozpin's giving a speech." I answered calmly,

"Crap! I forgot! I have no idea where that is either!" He panicked.

I sighed, realizing I would have to help him like he was a child.

I grabbed his hand and began to lead him along.

"Come on, follow me," I said, heading toward the auditorium.

"Oh, thank god you know your way around here." He said, merciful that he had happened to befriend someone who had been here for a month already.

"Yeah, sure, thank god, not the person taking you there," I muttered bitterly, mildly annoyed at his misplaced thanks, though apparently, he heard it.

"Er, thanks to you too Lilith, I'd have never gotten there in time if it wasn't for you." He apologized.

I sighed again.

While he could be quite nice, he was also somewhat chatty. It wasn't an entirely _bad_ trait with him, it's not like he talked about himself all the time or anything, but it could be… _annoying_.

Whatever, it didn't matter too much.

We got there, listened to Ozpin's speech about _Wasted Potential_ , which apparently unnerved everyone else. I don't know why, I liked it. Thought it made a great deal of sense.

Afterwards, I talked with Jaune some more. Well, it's more like he talked and I responded with short sentences and various looks. He was oddly nice company despite how… _chatty_ …he could be. I suppose that's because I knew he didn't mean anything by it. We eventually parted ways when it was time for everyone to go to the ballroom to sleep.

It was at that point that I realized that I had wasted most of the day talking to Jaune, instead of finding other teammates and studying my fellow students.

I groaned at how easily I got distracted.

Then I thought about it again.

_I shouldn't say I "wasted" the day with Jaune, I learned a lot about him. So far he seems trustworthy. At least, trustworthy enough not to stab me in the back immediately, so I'll keep being his "friend". He's definitely going to be my teammate, hopefully my partner too, but I'll have to figure out a way to ensure that._

But still, that left me in the position of being effectively blind about nearly everyone else going into the initiation.

All except Yang, and that…that wasn't going to happen.

Not if I could do anything to stop it.

So, what to do to get information on my fellow students?

I didn't have much time left, everyone would be going to sleep soon, and then tomorrow we would be going out into the forest and it would be too late. There was a _small_ window of opportunity during breakfast, but I _really_ didn't want to talk to people.

What could I do?

 _Oh._ I realized in surprise.

 _That's…actually brilliant. I mean, it'll be a little hard, but I think I can do it._ I thought.

 _It doesn't really matter how much it tires me out, though. I absolutely refuse to allow myself to go into tomorrow blind. I_ _need_ _information._ I thought resolutely, committing to the course ahead of me.

* * *

**? pov**

"So, doctor, do you think she'll hold together?" I asked, concerned.

"The treatments have done a lot of good, she's very far along." He answered.

"But _will she hold_?" I insisted.

He sighed, knowing the answer wasn't as simple as that.

"She'll _probably_ hold." He answered finally.

" _Probably_?" I criticized.

"Psychology and hypnotherapy aren't exact sciences." He responded, exasperated.

He sighed again

" _But_ , if I had to guess, I'd say that unless she's pushed to the brink, she'll hold." He answered tiredly, not liking to have to make such a guess about this.

"Pushed to the brink?" I questioned.

"Yes. I think she'll hold unless she's put under life-or-death level stress. If she is pushed to the point where she has to try to do _anything_ to survive, then I believe the stress will start to undo what we've done" He explained.

"Life-or-death stress? She's going to Beacon, a _hunter_ academy, where they _fight Grimm_!" I said incredulously.

 _She's going to fall apart_ I thought fearfully.

"Please, Beacon may be an intense hunter academy, but it's probably one of the safest, at least mentally. In addition, your girl is hardly weak. I bet she'd be able to take on anything without breaking a sweat. I mean, when I said life-or-death level stress, I meant she had to be staring death in the face. She has to undergo a _tremendous_ amount of stress in order for the treatment to break." He explained, dismissing my concerns.

I sighed, realizing he was right.

I just hoped that she would be happy, that she would finally find peace. Considering her life, it's the least she deserved.

My little Kokkinos was more than skilled enough to survive Beacon. After all, what could possibly beat the life of a slave?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, Ruby doesn't have Crescent Rose yet, she just has Rose, which is just a scythe. She's working on how to make something approaching Crescent Rose, but she hasn't had the training, help, or resources to even know how to make it yet.
> 
> I've seen stories where Ruby still has the Crescent Rose despite having been on the run or in the wild since she was a child or something, not that said stories are bad.
> 
> While I do think it's an important part of her character, I do think they're underestimating the weapon.
> 
> The Crescent Rose is complex as fuck, and it's not something you can just make with grit, talent, and scrap. No, you need training, an excellent grasp of physics, math, and the science of murder. You also need access to high-end resources and manufacturing methods. Things she didn't have access to when her family barred her from attending Signal
> 
> Despite that, she's still one hell of a weaponsmith, as shown by the fact she slapped Thorn together, and how the Rose is actually a pretty good scythe in spite of suitable materials.
> 
> So instead she's still working on it.
> 
> She might have a...version...of it later now that she has access to those things she lacked, but not right now.
> 
> So, in lea of the ultra complex Crescent Rose, she has the simple Rose and Thorn combo. A giant hand cannon, and a scythe.
> 
> I figured that if Ruby's supposed to be strong enough to wield the behemoth that is Crescent Rose, then a 12-year-old version can handle a giant hand cannon.
> 
> That being said, she hasn't had much practice with it yet, seeing as she just made it a week ago. I mean, she'll be able to shoot things and kill them, just don't expect sharpshooter Ruby to be a thing.
> 
> Also, Ruby met Jaune!
> 
> And Lilith has a cover story!
> 
> Kinda!
> 
> It's almost as dark as the truth!
> 
> And more mystery girl!
> 
> And don't forget, I am happy to answer questions if you have them. And if you have any thoughts about my writing I'd love to hear them.


	6. Scene 6: Dreams of Glory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, shit goes down hard. The first real fight scenes happen, and I must warn you of gore.
> 
> All of the gore. 
> 
> So much violence and gore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I watched the Prestige around the time I wrote this chapter, so I was feeling in the mood for some magic tricks.
> 
> So
> 
> Are you watching closely?

**? pov**

After being launched from the cliff I landed in a tree before making my way down.

Professor Ozpin said we needed to fight with our all, or we would die.

_That's fine with me_ I thought _I prefer it that way_

He said we had to retrieve something from a temple in the forest. I didn't really know where it was, but I could guess that it was in the opposite direction as the cliff.

So, following that logic, I made my way over there.

_I wonder if we'll be graded on this?_ I pondered _And if we are, then how?_

I continued to think along these lines as I made my way through the forest.

Forests were something unfamiliar to me, I rarely encountered them back home, or at least, ones of this nature. It was…uncomfortable…to be honest. I wasn't really used to this. As much as I was training to be a hunter, I wasn't really in my element here.

I was a warrior, plain and simple. I didn't really have a good idea of what to do or where to start, at this point my plan was basically to just get to the temple, kill anything in my way, and hopefully find a partner along the way.

I sighed as I marched on.

That part of this annoyed me. I had never needed a partner back in Mistral, I had never been on a team before either. Some people did team up, but there was no one who wanted to team up with me back then.

They all thought I was out of their league, that they would just hold them back.

They weren't _wrong_ , no one at the school was really on my level, not even the teachers.

That being said, it would have still been nice to have had _some_ friends. But no, I was too good for that apparently. Even if they did want to be friends, they were usually suck-ups trying to use me to ride their way to success, also known as scum sucking pieces of garbage. Not that I said that to their faces or anything, no. I was good girl, and good girls were nice and polite, even if they felt like strangling someone.

Then again, I'm not entirely sure what a friend is supposed to be. I mean, I know they're _supposed_ to be people close to you that you care about, but I know there's more to it than that.

Friends aren't the same as lovers, family, pets, or enemies, and yet that vague description fits all of them, even enemies. After all, your closest enemies know you best, and you care about them, even if it is only to eliminate them.

So, obviously there's something special about friends that sets them apart from the others. Something that makes them more than simply useful.

But...

I've never had a friend, so I don't know what it is. I don't know what it's like to have one, and as much as I'm interested in having one, I'm also kind of…anxious…about making one. After all, how do I do it?

It's the one thing I've failed at, the one thing I've never been able to do.

And because of that I've disappointed Sahib.

I stopped this train of thought when I realized something.

The forest was quiet.

Too quiet.

Then I noticed it. A quiet, whisper-like buzzing sound, like the sound of the speakers in the stadiums back in Mistral when they're on, but no one's saying anything.

_What is that?_ I questioned.

It certainly isn't a normal sound to hear in a forest, unless someone had put speakers all throughout the forest.

Then again, considering the headmaster, I wouldn't be terribly surprised if he had.

_GRRR_

I was ripped from my thoughts by the sound of a predator, a Grimm.

_I can't believe I let myself get distracted_ I chastised myself as I sighed at my slack behavior.

I had gotten sloppy, allowing myself to get surrounded by these beowolves.

I drew Milo and Akuou, holding them in traditional javelin and shield stance.

One on my left charged at me, bounding through the foliage, making a tremendous amount of noise as it carelessly trampled over leaves, signaling it's approach.

Once it got inside my circle of movement, I made my move.

Time slowed as it took a swipe at me. For most, it would have flown at blinding speed. For me, it looked like it was moving through molasses. Inches before the dark claw connected with my head, I dropped down into a crouch.

While it was off balance from having the object of its attack suddenly disappear, I struck. Jumping up from my crouch like an uncoiled spring, I slammed the edge of my shield into its face, crushing its skull into two halves from the sheer impact.

Before any of the other wolves could react, I quickly shifted Milo into rifle form, and began taking shots at them.

The second one died to having a .308 AP Dust round crash through its eye like a small, focused, freight train, completely avoiding the durable "mask" of the Grimm. It passed through the skull, sending fragments of the shattered skull through what little brains it had, scrambling them. Finally, it exited out of the back of the skull, punching a fist sized hole out of its head. Following what remained of the bullet were skull fragments, grey matter, and a fountain of blood.

Before the Beowolf even had time realize it was dead, I had already switched to another target, removing its eye and brain with surgical precision. The recoil, which would have thrown the aim off for most people, instead felt comfortable and expected. My body remembered this weapon, and instinctively knew how to handle it perfectly.

I continued like this, firing all nine shots, and downing the remaining nine Beowolves, in three seconds.

Once they all finally hit the ground I decided to reload and move on, no point in staying here anymore.

As I headed deeper into the forest after the 12.795 second engagement, I continued my previous train of thought like it never happened. After all, this carried about as much significance as killing a few ants.

_So, who will I find?_

* * *

**? 2 pov**

_And here I thought things would change when I left the White Fang_ I thought as I jumped through the trees.

When I landed at the beginning of the initiation trial I started walking toward the objective on feet. Then came that weird buzzing sound. After that, came some Grimm.

They weren't hard, I eliminated them without much trouble.

Then came more, and more, and more….

So in the end I decided to avoid them instead of just trying to kill them all.

Back in the White Fang I eventually grew to develop a real talent for stealth and evasion. All for the purpose of dodging and avoiding security and patrols to complete my objectives. But now, I was putting it to work here.

Dodging Grimm.

_I suppose it_ _is_ _a little different though._ I continued, still jumping over the clueless Grimm.

_They don't have guns this time_.

I was torn from my thoughts when my covered ears twitched in warning.

Alerted to the presence I ducked down, dodging a swipe from a Beowolf who noticed me. Its claw swung above me, digging into the bark of the tree trunk to my side, sending fragments of the bark flying.

I retaliated by kicking it in its chest, giving me enough breathing room to draw Gambol Shroud.

Recovering from the kick, it began to roar in rage at me. Something I quickly put a stop to with several barks of my own from my pistol as it sent three .45 FMJ Dust rounds screaming into its open mouth. The brutal, yet small, rounds mercilessly tore its skull apart, first ripping off its jaw, then tearing through the back of the throat and spine, and the final one punctured it's skull through the eye socket.

It dropped, falling off the branch, and falling to the ground, dead in less than 4 seconds after encountering it. Unfortunately, my quick response wasn't enough.

My brief skirmish with the Beowolf had drawn the attention of other Grimm, all of which had gotten wise to my evasion tactics.

I sighed realizing I would need to kill all the Grimm in the area before I could move on.

As another Beowolf jumped up to take a swipe at me, I jumped in the air to evade, taking a long, lazy backflip.

While I was in the air I shifted Gambol into Kusarigama form and threw it at one of the Beowolves.

The blade, aided by the force of its spin, easily punctured the skull of the wolf, stabbing through the top of the skull and impaling its brain.

I pulled on the ribbon connected to the blade, pulling me towards its corpse faster than gravity wanted me to fall. As I hurtled to the dead Grimm, I shifted my position so I landed on my feet. The force of my landing snapped it's spine with an audible _CRACK_. If it wasn't dead yet, it was now.

Without missing a beat I yanked Gambol from the dead Grimm's bleeding skull with a wet _POP_ , spraying a touch of blood around.

It flew into my hands, an action I had done so much I barely needed to think about it anymore.

Seeing two more Beowolves make a move for me I drew the sharpened sheath of Gambol, dual wielding the two blades.

When they went to strike me down I evaded it by leaving a clone in my place, momentarily confusing them.

A moment was all I needed.

When I pushed off the clone, I crouched down in front of where I was, coiling myself as I prepared to pounce. I turned to my left, lunging at the Grimm.

In a flash Gambol's narrow blade penetrated yet another Beowolf skull, sliding all the way through its brain as it was powered by the force of me putting my whole body into the jump.

Without losing momentum I twisted my lunge into spin as I flipped over the back of the Grimm, taking Gambol's blade with me. The extreme torque applied to the wolf's head from the move caused its neck to snap as its head was violently twisted with my flip.

When I got to the other side of the Beowolf, after flipping over its back, I was able to pull Gambol's narrow blade from its skull with a slick, wet, sound in one quick motion.

Without even stopping to take a breath I charged the other wolf while it was still stunned. Running low to the ground, I prepared to strike with Gambol's sheathe.

In less than a moment I was in front of the other wolf, delivering a vicious, bladed, uppercut to its neck. The blow cut through its jugular, esophagus, and part of its spine, nearly decapitating it in a gore filled geyser of blood. In fact, the only piece of it that kept the head attached to the rest of its body was a muscled flap of flesh.

After recovering from the maneuver, I looked around, taking stock of the situation. I had killed four Beowolves in about 11 seconds, but in those 11 seconds, they had brought friends.

I was now, once again, surrounded by Grimm.

_Great, just what I was hoping to avoid_ I thought with a sigh.

Then I noticed something new, something worrying.

_Is that an Ursa_? I questioned.

Indeed it was. A single, big, intimidating, bear-like Ursa was sitting in this massive pack of Grimm, staring at me hungrily.

_Well…that complicates things._ I thought.

* * *

**? 3 pov**

_This…is not going according to plan_ I thought critically as I impaled another Beowolf with Myrtenaster.

Ever since I had landed from the cliff I had just been killing endless waves of Grimm. Not that it was particularly hard, mind you. I had expected that I would be killing Grimm when I came to Beacon.

It's just…I had hoped it would have been a bit different than this.

I had heard that Pyrrah Nikos, the "Invincible Girl" was attending Beacon this year as well. The plan was to join up with her, and become the ultimate team, and dominate the school with our perfection.

Then I might actually be able to impress a certain _someone_.

I sighed as I dodged another predictable strike from a Beowolf.

Then I was told that partners were made here.

In the initiation.

Through chance.

That…had been unexpected, but I would adapt. Even if I didn't get Pyrrah as a partner, I would make do. I was a Schnee, and Schnee's didn't let anything stop them from achieving their goals.

_That being said…it would have been nice to have found_ _someone_ I thought critically

Instead, I just found Grimm. Followed by more Grimm, and then their friends, family, cousins.

_UGH_ I groaned as I effortlessly impaled another Beowolf.

At first, I had been a bit…anxious…about fighting them. That being said, I didn't shy away from them. After all, Schnee's don't run in the face of adversity.

Soon, however, that anxiety bled into…annoyance. It quickly became apparent that these Beowolves weren't anything special. I had even stopped wasting my Dust in Myrtenaster on them.

Frankly it was a waste of Dust to use it on the foul beasts.

So, instead I had been relying on my swordsmanship to guide me through. It had served me well enough. These beasts were easy to eliminate, and using my rapier took no Dust, I could do it endlessly.

I finished off the pack after me by using a glyph to launch me into the final Beowolf. Myrtanaster speared through its skull, the sharpened tip of the rapier backed by the force of my entire body being hurtled forward easily breaking through its mask.

With the last one dead I removed my rapier with a quick flick of the wrist, flicking away any blood on it away from me.

I turned around in an attempt to leave the carnage of the five impaled Beowolves behind me.

Unfortunately the two Ursa's in front of me had other ideas.

I jumped in surprise.

_Where did they come from?_ I questioned.

Ursas were not known for being sneaky. Indeed, with their large, lumbering frames, they were usually hard to miss.

So as a result, I had to question how they came here. I was sure that there were only five Beowolves throughout the fight.

_I suppose my situational awareness needs some improvement_ I concluded.

It made sense, I suppose. I hadn't been _too_ focused on fighting after all. I had let myself get distracted by my thoughts simply because the fight was easy. It was a sign of _weakness_ that I had allowed these bears to get the jump on me.

_Well, it is a mistake I shall soon correct_ I thought.

They charged at me, no strategy in their assault. Instead they simply attacked like the simple beasts they were.

_Predictable_ I thought

When they got close enough to try and swipe at me, I rolled to the left under the leftmost one's giant paw. Springing up from my roll, I used a glyph to throw me forward into the Ursa. I aimed my rapier to hit the large Grimm in the neck, avoiding any of its defensive plates.

The blade cut through the thick cords of muscle, tendon, and blood veins, sinking deeply into its neck. Before it had a chance to swipe at me in its death throws, I pulled Myrtenaster from its neck and jumped away.

Before I landed I gave a cursory glance around the clearing, looking for the other one.

_Now, where are yo-_

My thoughts were cut off when something large impacted my back in midair, sending my flying to the other side of the clearing. I hit the ground rolling, getting caked in a light layer of dust and dirt. My aura protected me from the worst of the damage, but I still felt like I got hit by a car.

I looked up from my position on the ground wondering what hit me.

_Oh…that's….that's a problem_ I thought in shock

It turns out the other Ursa hit while I was in midair, somehow managing to get around me.

It also turns out he brought friends.

Before me were three Ursa and five Beowolves, all gazing at me with glowing red eyes filled with hunger and hate.

Then, without a word of warning, they charged.

_Dammit_

* * *

**? 4 pov**

_This…_

_This is…_

" _ **AWESOME!"**_ I exclaimed gleefully as I pummeled another Ursa with Magnhild, breaking its bones with an audible _CRACK_ with each hit of the massive hammer.

Finally it fell to the ground, more closely resembling a crumpled pile of blood, guts, and broken bones than a once fearsome Grimm.

_Still…_

"Awe…It's broken." I pouted.

"I guess the fun had to end sometime." I thought, disappointed about the truth of the statement

_GGGRRRR!_

"Or _NOT~!_ " I sung as I turned around, coming face to face with even more Ursa, Beowolves, and…

_Is that?_

_HHHHSSSSS!_

" _SNAKE!_ " I cheered out at the sight of a King Tiajitu.

In response I shifted Magnhild into grenade Launcher form and fired a 40mm HE Dust round into the horde.

The pink, heart-stamped grenade closed the distance in less than a second, detonating on the mass of Grimm in a pink explosion tinged red with the blood of my enemies.

"Ha ha ha ha!" I laughed as I lobbed grenade after grenade into them, sending up plumes of bloody mist with each pull of the trigger.

I was the…princess of destruction, the…empress of explosions.

I was…

" _ **I'm Queen of the Castle!"**_ I screamed gleefully at the top of my lungs.

No sooner had I said that than did my wandering mind travel to something else that peaked my interest.

_I wonder where Ren is?_ I wondered

* * *

**? 5 pov**

_I hope Nora's alright._ I thought, concerned for the fate of my childhood friend,

_Unlike me_.

I barely managed to dodge another swipe from a Beowolf before retaliating with a controlled burst from my Stormflowers. The 9x19mm Dust rounds perforated the Grimm, penetrating the skin and tearing its internal organs apart. It dropped to the ground, bleeding from 6 holes in its center mass.

The Beowolves weren't, individually, hard. That being said, they just kept coming.

It felt like I was fighting off endless waves of Grimm, each one getting harder and harder as I wiped them out one by one. First it was just Beowolves, then Ursa, then King Taijitu.

_And now a deathstalker_ I thought as I saw one in the distance.

This wasn't looking good for me. I may have been able to fight them off at first, but I didn't have the best long-term stamina, and these Grimm were wearing me down. I was beginning to make mistakes, my Aura was draining, and I was running out of ammo.

My only option at this point was to run, and hope I found somebody else to help. Preferably Nora. While she could be a bit…random…and taxing, the fact was, I could work well with her. We've known each other for years, and I've gotten…accustomed…to her odd ways.

Well, that and I wouldn't wish Nora on anybody.

So, I ran.

I ran as fast and as far as my legs would take me. My breaths ran short and shallow as my lungs struggled to pull oxygen into me and put it in my blood, as they struggled to keep me going.

As I ran from the horde of Grimm behind me, the dull roar of them quieted. The forest grew silent around me, surrounding me with an unsettling calm.

Then I noticed a small, dull, quiet roar of static. It was like the static from a scroll that was on, but nobody was saying anything, but everywhere.

_What is that?_ I thought.

I had heard this earlier, but now it was back again, and I had no idea what it meant.

_Perhaps they are watching us? Grading us?_ I considered as I ran.

Then the static grew louder, turning into deafening hum, before leaving with a thunderous _**THOOM!**_

The force and sound of the shockwave from the blast of sound forced me to stop and clutch my ears. It rippled through the forest, shaking the trees and stirring up the wind.

_What the hell was that supposed to be?_ I thought, my ears still ringing from the deafening blast.

Suddenly my instincts _screamed_ at me to dodge something.

Unfortunately, I was too tired, my body too worn out and tired from all the fighting I did earlier. I tried to dodge for all I was worth, I really did.

But I was too slow.

Something big slammed into my back like a truck, sending me flying into a tree. I spun as I flew, hitting the tree with my back, colliding with it with an audible _CRACK_.

Stunned, I tried to shake the stars from my vision, to try to get my bearings.

I almost wish I hadn't.

There in front of me was Deathstalker, a hungry, angry, Deathstalker. It clicked its claws as it slowly walked up to me, its tail twitching in anticipation.

_Shit shit shit. Come on Ren, get up._ I thought to myself, trying to get up.

But it was no use. My body was too tired, I was exhausted. I must have broken something when I hit the tree because I couldn't even move my legs. When it hit me with, what I can only assume, were its claws, it knocked out the rest of my Aura.

So I tried to force it away with my Stormflowers, peppering it with round after round of 9mm Dust ammunition. But the giant scorpion's armor was far too thick, and the bullets simply pinged of its armor, not even leaving so much as a dent.

Its tail twitched again before shooting forward at blinding speed.

I tried to summon up enough Aura to deflect it, anything to keep me alive, but I hardly had enough Aura to even to make a pink lightshow, let alone deflect the stinger of a Deathstalker.

It blasted through my barrier, shattering what little remained of my Aura, and ended its journey with a wet, slick, _THUNK_

Stunned, I looked down at my chest, only to see the large, child-sized stinger, buried deep within my gut.

Blood began to come up my throat as I lost feeling in my body.

_God, I hope Nora's okay._ I thought as I slowly died. I strangely felt no pain, no anxiety about the life draining from me.

I watched with a detached calm as the Deathstalker picked me up with its stinger before flinging me deeper into the forest, its stinger leaving my body with a wet _POP_.

Blood sprayed from my gaping wound like a crimson fountain, wind wiping through the gaping hole in my chest, my intestines and other various organs trailing behind me., and as I flew through the air, I felt myself grow colder and more faint. My vision darkened at the edges as I felt myself become tired.

_Who am I kidding, of course she's fine, she's Nora._ I thought with a weak smile before my unprotected and dying body collided with a tree with a wet, meaty, crunchy, _**SPLAT!**_

And I was thrown into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...
> 
> ...
> 
> I
> 
> ...
> 
> ...
> 
> Am still not sorry.
> 
> No, quite the opposite.
> 
> I'm very happy with how this all turned out.
> 
> I mean look, I made a Ren disappear.
> 
> That's pretty good magic trick.
> 
> In any case, sorry if the way this whole thing was set up confused you.
> 
> Here's a key to make sense of it
> 
> Key:
> 
> ? pov: Pyrrha
> 
> ? 2 pov: Blake
> 
> ? 3 pov: Weiss
> 
> ? 4 pov: Nora
> 
> ? 5 pov: Ren
> 
> If it's really too confusing, I'll change it, but at this point, I prefer to have the Pov be ? until we are formally introduced to the character.
> 
> I like it better that way.
> 
> If it's too confusing, tell me and I'll fix it.


	7. Scene 7: Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The continuation to the violence that occurred last chapter, but brought back with greater ferocity. 
> 
> In short, Gore warnings still apply, but shit gets more intense and far darker.

**Jaune pov**

_You know, this isn't so bad_ I thought as I wandered through the forest.

After what Ozpin saying about having to fight with our all or die, I was worried the Grimm would get me. After all, it's not like I _really_ belong here. I kinda thought we'd actually _learn_ how to kill Grimm before we, well, killed Grimm.

After all, that's why I decided to use those fake transcripts to get in, I wanted to learn how to fight Grimm, to be a hunter, to be a _Hero._

Then it turned out, _surprise_ , you have to _already_ know how to kill Grimm. Here they just refine it. My general thoughts when I found that out could be summed up with one word.

_FUCK_

Which was then followed by the word

_ME_

But, surprisingly enough, the forest had been quite nice and, better yet, devoid of Grimm. I mean, there was that odd buzzing sound in the background, I had long since blocked it out. It wasn't exactly loud or annoying. Hell, if you weren't concentrating on it you wouldn't even notice it.

In any case, while the forest may be surprisingly nice, the fact was, I needed a partner. Well, I didn't get much choice in the matter, I was getting one whether I wanted one or not. No, the real problem was _who_ I would be getting. I hadn't exactly made friends yesterday. Hell, I hadn't even met _anyone_ yesterday, I knew absolutely no one at this school.

Well, except Lilith.

Speaking of which, there she is.

…

_Wait, there was a problem with that sentence_ I thought, noticing that there was a problem, but not sure what it was.

Then it hit me.

"Lilith! What are you doing here!?" I exclaimed in shock and surprise.

Lilith turned to me, looking at me with that same blank look, and wearing that same tattered red cloak. As usual the hood was up, covering her hair. I had learned yesterday, that looking at her face wasn't the best way to read her emotions, instead, the secret lay in her eyes.

Her eyes were hollow, yet expressive. I don't really know a good way to explain it really, but her silver eyes, despite their cold detachment, usually portrayed what little emotion she was capable of expressing. And right now they were looking at me with mild surprise.

"Hi Juane." She replied calmly.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned again as I walked up to her, concern filling me. After all, Lilith was a young girl, all alone, in a forest that was supposed to be filled with Grimm.

In response she continued to stare at me, tilting her head in confusion.

"I come here all the time?" She responded, a question on her lips, as if she was confused about why I would even ask that.

"Why would you care?" She asked

"Why would I care?!" I exclaimed, mystified at the odd ways of this young girl.

"I care because this forest is supposed to be filled with Grimm, and you're just a little girl!" I tried to explain

"I can defend myself." She countered, the smallest of frowns gracing her face.

Then, as if to prove her point, a bush next to us shuttered and shook. In a flash, something leaped out of the bush, running our way. It rushed forward, it's long white teeth glinting in the light as it lunged toward us, hunger in its-

_**BOOM!** _

And then, in an explosion of blood, guts, and gore, it turned into a cloud of crimson mist.

I stared at the cloud for a second or two before turning back to Lilith. She was holding up her monster of a gun, the Thorn, which was now smoking from its enormous barrel.

"…You know that was just a rabbit, right?" I questioned.

"Bastards want my cookies." She muttered darkly under her breath.

"How do you even lift that?" I muttered, noting how it seemed incredible that a girl with tiny little stick arms could lift the behemoth.

Shaking my head, I got myself back on track.

"That's not the point! You could get hurt here! Killed even! And I don't want to see that happen to you!" I argued, concern filling my voice as I kneeled down to get on her level.

Her eyes widened a fraction as her mouth opened ever so slightly, a sure sign I had absolutely stunned her with my declaration. Looking at her like this reminded me a little of my little sister. That being said…

She didn't blow up rabbits for taking her cookies

…that I know of.

I sighed, realizing I had allowed myself to get all riled up by this. I let out a breath, trying to let all the frustration, frantic concern, and fear out with it.

"Look, Lilith. I care about you. You're my friend, and I don't want anything bad to happen to you." I said to her sincerely, looking her straight in the eyes.

The doll-like girl only stared at me, not even knowing what to say.

Then, the strange buzzing static I heard earlier came back, but louder. It increased in volume and intensity. It grew into a loud, deafening, hum. It seemed to vibrate the very bones in my body. Finally, it ended with a loud, deafening _**THOOM!**_

It was like the sound of thunder, an explosion of sound. Following it came a massive shockwave that passed through the forest, shaking everything.

I opened my eyes again, taking my hands off my still ringing ears, and looked around to try and see what that was. What I saw, was that the sky was now covered in dark, almost black, storm clouds, blocking out the sun. I looked down at Lilith to see if she had anything to say about that.

I found that she was already looking up at me, her normal blank expression on, as if what just happened was a common occurrence.

"We should leave." She spoke to me before she turned around, and walked further into the forest.

I stood there, just staring at the odd girl for a couple seconds, wondering what I got myself into be befriending her. Then I shook my head once more, a small smile gracing my face.

_Are you just gonna stand there while a little girl shows you up_? I thought to myself.

"Hey, Lilith! Wait up!" I shouted to her as I ran after the young girl.

_Besides, she is my friend. I shouldn't let her be alone._

* * *

**? 4**

_Ren's probably fine_ I thought dismissively before bringing my attention back to the horde in front of me.

Soon I would run out of grenades and then the horde would finally be able to descend upon me like an oncoming flood of hungering darkness.

_That's fine with me_ I thought with a smile _Magnhild and I will take them all on!_

At this point, the bloody mist was so thick around the tree line that I actually couldn't see the Grimm. That didn't stop me from killing them, though.

I didn't really need to see them for Magnhild's grenades to wipe them from existence.

_Click,_ _THUMP!_

… _._ _ **BOOM!**_

_Click,_ _THUMP!_

… _ **BOOM!**_

_Click,_ _THUMP!_

… _._ _ **BOOM!**_

_Click,_ _THUMP!_

… _ **BOOM!**_

_Click,_ _THUMP!_

… _._ _ **BOOM!**_

_Click,_ _THUMP!_

… _ **BOOM!**_

_Click,_ _THUMP!_

… _._ _ **BOOM!**_

_Click,_ _THUMP!_

… _ **BOOM!**_

_Click…_

… _Click…_

… _Click, Click, Click_

Magnhild's trigger mechanism clicked uselessly as the hammer swung at nothing, no longer having any grenades to launch

"Awe…" I pouted as I looked at my empty grenade launcher, sad that there would be no more explosions.

I looked back up at the bloody clouds surrounding me in a crimson mist, shrouding the Grimm from view.

"Oh well..." I sighed,

"At least I can still go Hammer Time!" I cheered, my pout growing back into a grin as I eagerly awaited the fun to begin.

Finally, they charged through the smoke and blood, rushing at me from all sides.

Somewhere deep inside me, I felt something, I felt…fear. I tried to quash it down with the joy at the bloody carnage that lay ahead of me, but I couldn't help but be worried.

I charged at the first Ursa before me. It attempted to hit me with a lazy, angry, swipe of its massive paw. Instead, I crushed its jaw and snapped its spine with a powerful uppercut from my hammer, sending it flying into the air.

I spun as I brought Magnhild down, slamming down onto an unsuspecting Beowolf who tried to get behind me, implanting the shattered, bloodied remains of its skull into the ground in an explosion of blood, spraying me with it.

A Boarbatusk tried to launch a spinning attack from behind me, and in return I spun again. I swung Magnhild into its side, sending it flying deep into the forest with an audible _CRACK_ as I crushed its armor.

Suddenly, I felt something hit me in the back, scratching my aura.

I spun around, swinging my hammer at whatever managed to hit me, and in the process, crushing another Beowolf in the process.

I heard a hiss coming from behind me. I turned around, coming face to face with a King Taijitu charging at me with the hopes of devouring me. At just the right time, I sidestepped its attack. I used the motion of spinning around the giant snake to aid in my swing of Magnhild.

I brought down Magnhild on its head like the fist of god, obliterating its head in a geyser of blood and gore. The extermination of the white head of the snake coated me in its scarlet juices, momentarily blinding me.

A moment was all they needed.

An Ursa lunged, tackling me to the ground before it began to strike at me, beating me with its huge clawed paws. As it tried to beat me senseless I struggled to get my legs under it. Finally succeeding, I used my impressive strength to kick the large bear off me.

Angered, I struck back attempting to swing Magnhild down on the stunned bear.

I was interrupted by a Beowolf tackling me to the ground. The force of his tackle threw Magnhild from my hands, leaving me without a weapon.

But that didn't mean I was defenseless.

It hung over me, snapping its jaw at me in an attempt to get through my Aura, to devour me. In response I grabbed its head, one hand on the lower jaw, the other on its head. I used my strength to _pull_ at it, stretching it beyond where it was supposed to go.

Finally, with a wet, crunchy, slick _CRRRAAAACK!_ I removed its jaw from its head. I finished off the foul Grimm by sending my fist flying into it's now wide open mouth, reaching inside, and pulling on the inside of its throat.

With a wet _POP_ , a spray of blood fell onto me. The action killed the large beast, and with a large heave, I pushed it off me. I got up, my legs still shaking, and looked around for Magnhild.

Instead I was staring face to face with the black half of the King Taijitu.

"H-hey." I said, chuckling nervously.

In way of response it coiled around me in a flash, constricting me. It tightened itself as I strained against it, trying to force it to release me with my own strength. In response, it only constricted even tighter, choking the life from me, cracking, snapping, and crushing my bones with audible _Cracks_ , _Snaps_ , and _Crunches_.

_No no no! I can still fight!_ I thought defiantly as I struggled for life.

It loomed above me, looking victorious.

_It can't end like this!_

Victorious…and hungry.

_I won't let it!_

It opened its mouth, tasting the air around me with its forked tongue.

_No…_ I thought in despair as I realized it was hopeless, that death would claim me.

Then, in a flash, it lunged.

_I'm sorry Ren, I messed up again._

And then there was nothing.

* * *

**? 3 pov**

_This is not good_ I thought worriedly.

I was officially out of Dust in Myrtenaster.

I turned around to look at the carnage before me. Fields of ice, charred corpses, all caused by the Dust in my weapon, and it's all that kept me alive. The beowolves were easy, but then Ursa joined the fray. That had made it harder, but I could handle it.

Then came…that sound…

It sounded like a loud bell ringing over an old, static filled radio. After that, everything got harder. Boarbatusks joined the fray, and they got a few shots in on me.

The Grimm got faster, stronger, more numerous. They got smarter too, they stopped coming at me one at a time. Instead they surged at me, not giving me any time to rest.

I had to pull out all the stops, push myself to the edge to survive. And even then, it's only by God's mercy I did.

Then I noticed something…odd

_Wait, when did it get dark?_ I wondered, looking up.

It wasn't actually night, I noticed, but instead the entire sky was filled with thick, dark, thunder clouds.

_When did this happen?_ I thought

Everything was cast into the dark shadows of the clouds. There was still enough light to see, barely, but the shadows of the forest became pitch black.

Then I heard a sound that filled my soul with despair and fear.

_**GGGGGRRRRR** _

I looked around, and everywhere I looked, tiny pairs of red dots appeared in the dark forest.

_No_ I thought, horrified.

I was tired, no, exhausted. My Aura was almost completely depleted. I was out of Dust. My breaths were short and shallow. Every move felt sluggish and forced.

_Stop it_ I thought, shaking those thoughts of despair away.

I _couldn't_ give up. Not now. I was a proud Schnee, and I wouldn't fail. I _couldn't_ fail. I still had my faithful weapon with me. It may be out of Dust, but it was still sharp.

_I_ _will_ _do this_ I thought as I forced my body to move, digging into reserves I didn't think I had.

With a silent signal, they charged.

A Beowolf charged at me and I ducked under its swipe. In my counter-attack I speared it through the bottom of its jaw, impaling its skull. I spun around, pulling my rapier from its dead form.

A Boarbatusk charged at me. At first, they were hard, but I've since learned how to deal with them. I used a glyph to knock it up into the air. In a swift move I speared it through its vulnerable underbelly.

I withdrew Myrtenaster from the dead boar, not even bothering to wipe the blood coating it any more, it was a waste of precious time.

Seeing an Ursa coming at me, I prepared my next move. Just as it rose up to lunge at me, I used a glyph to boost me out of the way. It landed with a loud, ground shaking _THUD_ , kicking up a cloud of dust. I took it as my time to strike.

While it was still reeling from the force of the impact I used another glyph to launch me into its neck. It's a technique that I've done over and over again, without fail. This time was no different as I heard Myrtenaster slickly slide into its neck, killing the beast. I moved to withdraw Myrtenaster from its corpse.

Suddenly I was violently thrown from the dead bear. A loud, sickeningly wet _CRACK_ and _SNAP_ occurred just as I was thrown from the evaporating Grimm. I was thrown to the ground roughly, sending stars exploding in my vision from the impact. I shook my head, trying to get my bearings again.

Then I noticed it. Still stuck to the corpse of the Ursa was Myrtenaster, several yards away from me. And wrapped around the handle of my rapier, was….

My bloody, lower, right arm.

It was still clenching Myrtenaster tightly as blood poured from the bony stump.

_W-what?_ I thought in horror, unable to comprehend what I was seeing.

Seeking comfort, I looked down to my own arm and saw none.

I looked at my new stump in horror and saw that it had been violently, and messily, detached just below the elbow. Blood poured from the wound, skin was rent from my muscles, and bones were shattered and fragmented, sticking out. My bare muscles and sinew twitched violently as they struggled to realize that something that had always been there was gone now.

Frozen in shock and horror I could only look back up at my sword and arm.

Instead, I saw a large black claw heading straight for my head. Somehow, in my shocked state, I managed to dodge it by stumbling backwards.

All traces of my previous courage left my system. In its place, grew fear. Terror took root in my soul, filling me with its paralyzing power. Fueled by that terror, I turned to run.

_No no no, this can't be happening_. I thought, denial working its way through my mind.

I didn't make it far before another Beowolf intervened. It lunged forward with its claw, slashing at my legs. With a sickening, crunchy, bloody and wet _SNAP!_ I felt myself lose my balance.

I fell to the ground roughly with a thud. I looked behind me to see to, and to my further horror, the Grimm had ripped off my lower left leg. All that was left was another bloody, gory, bony, stump of a leg, pouring my life giving blood onto the ground.

_No no no, this isn't supposed to be what happened!_ I thought, drowning in fear.

Equal parts terror and horror filled my being now. I so desperately wanted to live, I didn't care about being the best anymore. I didn't care about being perfect, or even being a Schnee. I just wanted to live.

I tried to crawl away, to do _something_ that prolong my life for even a _moment_ longer. I dragged my once beautiful white dress, something I once cared about immensely, through the mud and dirt in my struggle to survive.

My progress was halted by a pressure on the back of my head. Something held my head still, something with claws. Then I felt a wet, hot breath, on the back of my neck, accompanied by the sound of sniffing.

_I'm going to die_ I thought in horror as tears fell down my face.

It picked me up by my head, pulling me up to face it. I gazed into red, hate and hunger filled eyes, as the Beowolf gazed back at me. One of its claws had a vice grip on my head, and the other around my neck.

_I'm sorry dad…I failed_

And then, with a loud, wet, crunchy, _CRACK_ , there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

**? 2 pov**

_Shit shit shit_ I thought as I continued to run.

While things hadn't exactly been going _great_ beforehand, after the…thunder…came, everything changed.

Thick, dark, storm clouds filled the sky, shrouding everything in darkness. With my night vision, it wasn't that much of a hindrance.

That being said, it was certainly a mood-setter.

What with the fact that suddenly endless hordes of Grimm started coming after me. Eventually I ran low on rounds for Gambol Shroud's pistol form. I was growing tired, and my Aura was weakening. Instead of fighting, I decided to run and try to find…something, anything. Things were certainly looking bleak.

_What can I do now?_ I questioned, thinking about how I could survive.

But the better question was, why was this happening?

_Did the headmaster actually expect us to survive this?_

I know for a fact if it wasn't for the training and experience I gained in the White Fang I would be dead by now. Most people would probably keep fighting this out until the end, not knowing when they should run instead of fight.

_Maybe that's the point of this? To weed out the fools?_ I considered as I continued to run.

I shook my head.

_No, Beacon is supposed to prestigious, not vicious. Using tactics like this would significantly drop graduation rates if 80% of the entering class died in initiation._ I realized.

_Then what_ _is_ _going on here? Is this an anomaly?_ I continued, trying to think this out.

_Then there's the fact that I haven't met anyone else despite the fact that 80 other people, all probably using loud and noisy tactics to kill the Grimm, are supposed to be here. If that's true, then why haven't I even_ _heard_ _anybody else?_

I was torn from my thoughts when a Beowolf managed to intercept me. I was able to escape with a clone before it actually hit me, but it still knocked me off balance enough to halt my sprint

_Shit! I need to get going before they slow me down_ I thought desperately.

Unfortunately, I was too late.

Three more Beowolves landed around me. Apparently they had been chasing me down, not entirely surprising considering how fast they were. They were probably the only ones that could catch me.

I sighed, realizing that I would have to kill them in order to get away.

_Still…_

Something unsettled me about this whole thing.

Shaking that thought away from me, I drew Gambol and its sheath, holding both in front of me as I waited for their attack.

The one on the left came at me first, lunging for my head. I easily ducked under its swing, then followed up by impaling its head from below with Gambol's more narrow blade, killing it.

I quickly pulled it out, not wanting it to get stuck in there.

No sooner had I done this than another Beowolf got in front of me, preparing to eviscerate me with its claws. I used another clone to evade its attack, pushing off the clone to jump and flip away.

When I landed I was about to draw Gambol again and lunge at it. Its friend had other ideas.

A third Beowolf got the jump on me the second I landed, biting down on my left shoulder with an audible, wet, and bloody _CRUNCH!_

I screamed in pain and surprise, dropping Gambol's sheath, but managed to push past it.

Before the others could use my time of vulnerability, I plunged Gambol's blade into the Grimm's eye, stabbing it in the brain. It howled, dropped me from its jaws, and dropped to the ground, dead.

In a burst of adrenaline fueled energy and fury, I ignored my eviscerated shoulder, and charged the Beowolf closest to me. In a flash I had decapitated the Grimm, leaving it to decompose with its brethren.

The final Beowolf looked to me and roared in fury. Having had enough of this, I simply threw Gambol in kusarigama form, impaling it in the head.

I yanked Gambol from the dead wolf, catching my weapon in my still functional hand.

Now that the fight was over, my adrenalin left me, and I felt more tired than ever. I knew I couldn't keep running anymore, I didn't have the energy. I looked to my shoulder, which more closely resembled bloody ground beef then a shoulder anymore. It felt numb as the blood poured from the gaping wound.

_That's not a good sign_ I sighed, losing the energy to keep going.

I heard more howls in the distance, signaling my impending doom. Rather than stand and fight, I just felt like giving up. I had no energy, no fight left in me anymore. I didn't want to go out in a blaze of glory, hell, I didn't want to go out at all.

So, instead of running, I turned around and plopped down on the ground, resting up against a tree trunk.

_So this is it huh? And here I was hoping to make a difference, to make up for what I did in the White Fang._ I thought in somber acceptance.

_I guess not_ I thought with a sad smile as I closed my eyes and embraced the growing darkness.

* * *

**? Pov**

I had long run out of ammunition for Milo. My body was starting to feel heavy, and my blade was growing dull. I was covered from head to toe in the crimson blood and gore of the countless Grimm I had killed.

But I refused to stop.

I kept going, kept killing. I was sure that if the Grimm didn't evaporate upon death then I would be standing on a mountain of corpses. I had long lost count of how many of the monsters I had slain.

I impaled another Ursa with my javelin and attempted to kick the dead beast away from me. Before I could get Milo free from the corpse, another Grimm tackled me away from my trusty weapon.

The Beowolf that did it tried to take a bite out of me, but instead got the sharpened edge of Akuou in its brain for its trouble. I pushed it away and searched for my javelin.

Instead I saw an Ursa charging at me.

I dodged to the side and delivered a vicious left hook enhanced by the sharpened edge of Akuou. The blow hit hard enough to cut its front right leg off, causing more blood to spray on my shield. Just for good measure I gave the bear and Aura enhanced kick to the skull to push it away from me.

The blow caved in the bear's skull and sent it rolling several feet away.

Sensing impending danger from behind me I spun around, holding up my shield defensively. I was just in time to block a spinning Boarbatusk, deflecting it. It landed on its back, struggling to right itself. Instead I cut off its head, covering myself in arterial spray.

And so I kept going, killing more and more Grimm with Akuou, staining myself in blood once more.

Until finally, I encountered something too much for me.

The Deathstalker's stinger bounced off Akuou, leaving it reeling. Taking my chance, I attempted jumped up to the large scorpion and cut its stinger off with Akuou. Instead, it swatted me with its claw, slamming into a tree.

I looked up, fighting away the fatigue, and saw it swinging its other claw at me. I raised Akuou again and attempted to block. The result was Akuou being violently torn from my arm with a resounding _SNAP_ , the durable leather straps snapping under the extreme force of the impact.

I looked off at Akuou flying away from me, stunned.

I was vulnerable now, I had nothing. My trusty sword and shield gone. I was defenseless.

The Deathstalker took advantage of my stunned state to pick me up with its right claw. It hoisted me into the air and began to crush me, draining my Aura faster and faster as the pressure increased. It soon became difficult to even breathe.

_NO! I can't stop, I can't die here! Not Now!_ I thought defiantly as it moved me in front of its "face"

Its stinger twitched dangerously and reared back, preparing to strike me.

I continued to struggle in its grasp. I tried to think of anything I could use to win, anything I could use to survive. My mind felt foggy and sluggish as the fatigue began to get to me.

But I also felt a…pressure…in my mind. Like some kind of stress was building up and threatening to break out.

_I refuse to die! I will not fail Sahib! I will_ _Not_ _fail here!_

The stinger twitched once more, before flying forward. Time seemed to slow as it approached me slowly.

_I will not stop!_

It inched forward, ever closer.

_I will not Fail!_

The stinger touched my nose, breaking the skin and producing a small trickle of blood. And then…

My mind cracked.

* * *

**? 2**

_Wait._ I thought, realizing something

Just when I was giving up, about to accept death, I connected the dots.

_Is this?_ I considered.

In a way, it made complete sense, in another, it could just be a fanciful, hopeful, work of fiction I was trying to convince myself was true.

_And yet…_ I thought as I stared at my wounded shoulder.

_This doesn't hurt like it's supposed to._ I thought.

While I can't say I've ever had a Grimm take a bit out of my shoulder before, I _have_ suffered extreme injuries during my time with the White Fang, and even with the blood loss, they still hurt.

This…this didn't.

_So my best piece of evidence is something that could just be explained away by shock or something_. I sighed, realizing it wasn't much to go on.

_Still…_ My instincts were saying something was off about this whole thing.

_So…if this is a dream…how do I get out?_ I wondered

_Well, according some works…I have to die…_

_That's unsettling, but I suppose it makes sense._ I thought, considering everything again.

Then I heard the Beowolves howl once more as they came for me.

_Well, I'm probably going to die anyway_ I thought, accepting my fate.

So I laid back down again, relaxing as I realized that one way or another, I'd find out soon

_But…what if I'm wrong?_ I thought.

What if this _is_ real. If it is, dying by the hands of Grimm isn't going to be very pleasant, or painless. Hell, even if it wasn't real, and this _was_ all a dream, being eaten by Grimm wouldn't be very pleasant.

Then I had another thought, one that bypassed all of this, and went to the root of it.

_But…if I'm going to die…I guess I want to do it on my terms._ I thought, my drive coming back.

I don't want to die, just lying against a tree, waiting for death. If this is a dream, I want to get out of it my own way, I want to get out myself, not just let the time run out.

_I want to go out with a bang_.

* * *

**Juane pov**

_I want to go back to the boring forest_ I thought as I ran for my life along with Lilith.

Soon after the…blast of sound, everything went wrong. Grimm started coming out and attacking us. Lilith seemed to want to stand and fight, she seemed…well, not confident, exactly, but she seemed to not consider it much of a problem.

So in response I picked her up and ran.

I ran as long and far as my legs would take me. Even if I _thought_ I could take them on, which I doubted, I didn't want to see Lilith get hurt. If running like a coward was the best way to do that, then I'd sacrifice my pride for it.

So, I ran. I ran and ran and ran. I ran with everything I could, hoping I could make it back to Beacon, or at the least, find someone who actually knew what they were doing.

Unfortunately, as I soon found out, nothing lasts forever.

As I ran, I tripped over a root, falling and stumbling to the ground, brining Lilith with me on my way down.

I groaned, rubbing my sore leg as I got up, cursing under my breath. I looked back up to Lilith to see if she was fine. Instead, I saw her looking at something behind me with a slight frown, which for her is practically a grimace.

_GGGRRR_

When I heard that, I knew. I didn't want to look, because I knew what I would see, but I did it anyway. I turned my head around slowly, fear resisting every movement I made. But I did it, and I saw what was behind me, to my ever increasing horror.

Behind me were four Beowolves and an Ursa, five Grimm. Five more than I've ever fought before in my entire life.

_I'm not ready for this. I'm not trained for this. How am I supposed to fight these things?!_ I thought frantically, fear giving way to terror and doubt.

I doubted myself, my abilities. I may have my sword and shield, but I've never done anything like this before. I don't know what I'm doing, I'll just make a fool of myself when I die.

"Juane." I heard a small, quiet, voice say, and a presence on my shoulder.

I turned my head to look at the source and found Lilith giving me a serious, firm, and ironclad look. Her hand was on my shoulder, as her silent way of support. I looked into her eyes and found no fear, instead…expectation. She expected me to take care of this, she believed in me, believed that I could do it.

A large part of my mind said, _Well, Lilith, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not the hero you think I am. I'm not a knight in shining armor. I'm just a boy playing dress-up. We're going to die here, because I thought I could be something I'm not_

It spoke despair and truth to me. It knew we wouldn't be making it out of this alive. It knew I was a failure, that I would never live up to my family name. That I would die here, a disappointment to my family for generation to come. But…

Then a different part of my mind spoke. The one that told me to come here to Beacon, to cheat my way in.

_But…even if I am a failure to my family, to myself_. I began to think before taking another look at Lilith.

_I can't be a failure for her. She believes in me._ I thought, embers of my courage lighting up in the dark void of my doubt and fear. _I can't let her down like everyone else in my life, not without a fight._

_Am I just going to lie down and die? Am I just going to stand by and let these monsters kill this girl because I was too scared to even move? Am I going to be the same Juane that failed at everything and disappointed everyone?_ Asked myself as I got up, turned around, and brought my shield and sword to bare, my courage growing from a small ember, into small, burning flame.

A Beowolf ran at me, charging me with its claws outstretched. I did my best to block with my shield, trying to deflect the blow. It worked, to a degree, as the blow bounced off my shield. The recoil, however, surprised me, stunning me for a moment.

For a couple seconds all I could do was block. Each time I did, I barely recovered enough to block the next blow. I quickly began to feel soreness in my arm as it was repeatedly battered with the force of the repetitive blows.

Once again that doubt grew, taking hold in my soul as it devoured the fire again. _I can't keep this up. I don't know how to fight back. I don't know what I'm doing. What if I die?_

Then I shook my head again, shaking away the doubt, as a new, more empowering thought took hold.

_What if Lilith dies?_

I couldn't let that happen, I _wouldn't_ let that happen. I would fight with every fiber of my being to keep her safe, to protect the ones I care about.

_I would rather_ _ **die**_ _than let her get hurt._ I thought with conviction.

And with that, that spark of courage, that dying ember, surged back even stronger, growing into a strong, burning, flame. It burned proudly, filling me with strength and fueling my will.

With that renewed courage, I finally made my move. In a fit of adrenaline fueled energy, I deflected the next blow perfectly, sending the Beowolf claw high into the air and leaving it wide open for my counter-attack.

With a cry of focused aggression, I threw my sword arm forward, plunging my blade of Crocea Mors deep into the throat of the Grimm. Blood sputtered and poured from the mouth of the Grimm as more of it spilled form its throat. With a wet, slick, _SHICKT,_ I withdrew my sword from its throat, allowing it to fall to the ground dead.

_I…I actually did it_ I thought, staring at the dead Grimm in wonder. _Maybe I'm not such a failure_

Then something slammed into my back, knocking me to the ground. My grip on Crocea Mors held, but I still tumbled and rolled on the ground. I struggled to get up, to see what knocked me down. What I saw almost completely snuffed out my flame of courage.

The Ursa I saw before stood over me now. Up close and personal, it looked a whole lot more intimidating. I looked around for Lilith, desperately trying to see if she was alright, to see if my screw up had gotten her hurt.

Then I heard it.

The resounding, thunderous, yet quickly comforting _**BOOM!**_ Of her Thorn, followed by the _SHICKT_ of something get sliced by her scythe. I felt safer knowing she was okay, I felt like I could do this again.

I should have known better.

"Jaune!" She cried out in pain, followed by a hungry, angry, growl of a Beowolf.

And with that, horror exploded within me, filling me completely

_No…_

* * *

**? 2 Pov**

_I want to go out with a bang_ I thought, looking down at Gambol Shroud.

I hit the mag release, allowing the magazine to fall from the gun and into my waiting hand. I still had three bullets left. Two more than I needed.

_Well, it would be instant, painless._ I thought, doubt creeping in as I seriously thought about what I was going to do.

I slid the magazine back into Gambol, pulled the slide back, chambered a round, released the safety, and considered what I was about to do.

_My aura's basically gone, the Grimm that bite a chunk out of me certainly saw to that._ I thought, looking at my eviscerated shoulder.

_So, there's nothing to deflect the bullet._ I continued.

I felt panic build in me again. I didn't want to die, I wanted to live. Besides, what if it didn't kill me, just left me crippled, perfect for the Grimm to devour.

I let out a shaky breath, trying to leave the doubt behind. But it was hard. I _really_ didn't want to die. Suicide went against everything I believed in, everything I lived for. Normally, I would never consider it.

_But it's not suicide, its waking up._ I thought, trying to rationalize it, to give myself the courage to do what I needed to wake up from this nightmare.

_But…what if it's not a dream_?

* * *

**Jaune pov**

The sound of Lilith's cry came from behind the giant Ursa, so I did my best to look around it as I got up, trying to see what had happened to her.

_Please, please God, let her be okay._ I thought

But, it wasn't' to be.

To my ever increasing horror, I saw Lilith pinned to the ground by a Beowolf standing over her hungrily. Around her were her weapons, Rose and Thorn, as well two dead Beowolves. One was decapitated, and the other had a massive hole blown in its chest.

Lilith was trapped, there was no way she could get out of this by herself. The only way to save her, was to do it myself. It was all up to me, if I didn't do this, she would die. The only thing standing between myself and Lilith, was a massive Ursa.

That, and my even larger doubt and fear.

I stared at the scene, frozen in horror.

What could I do? I barely managed to take down one Beowolf, let alone an Ursa.

Doubt and horror filled my being, snuffing the fire in me down to nothing more than a spark, and ember, of light. It choked me down, held me up, and turned me to stone. I was petrified, I couldn't move, I couldn't think. I didn't know what to do, I didn't know how to get out of this I didn't know how to get out of this.

Then, for one second. One, traitorous second, I had a thought.

_I could run, they'll spend their time trying to eat her instead of me, and I'll live. She'll die, and I'll live._ My dark, weak, cowardly part of myself told me, trying to convince me to run and live.

But it made a mistake.

_No_ I thought, defying it's will.

There were only four ways this could go, not an infinite. Either we both die, I run and let Lilith die. We both live, or I die while saving her, letting her live.

_No_ I thought, realizing there were really only three possibilities. I wouldn't run from this. I'd been a coward all my life, wanting to be the hero, but always being too weak and scared to do it. For one moment, I gathered up the courage to do something about it. I got my way into Beacon, into a school that would teach me how to be a hero.

And here was my chance.

I wanted to be a hero so bad, well here was my _Fucking! Chance!_

Is it everything I thought it would be? Is it fun? Is the adventure everything I read it would be? Is it fun yet?

No, it's not fun. It sucks, I hate it.

This isn't fun, its terrifying.

But…

I can't leave her. I can't think about leaving one girl behind, letting her die just because I was a weak little coward. I _refuse_ to think like that, to let someone else die when I could do something about it.

_I_ _**REFUSE** _ _to let her die!_

And with that thought, that one thought, I felt something inside me break. That courage in me, that little fire that was nearly snuffed out, it flared.

No

It _Roared_.

It surged, growing, exploding into a massive, white hot, fireball, consuming my fear, doubt, and horror, using it as fuel to grow ever stronger. Something inside me grew with it, something in my soul exploded, breaking free. It filled my body, giving me strength I never knew I had.

I felt this power course through my veins, and for a moment, a second, the world around me shimmered.

I looked down at my arms and found, to my surprise, that I was _glowing_. I was covered in this…field…of glowing white energy. I pondered what it all meant for a moment, before shaking my head.

It didn't matter, I had something more important in front of me.

Not the Ursa

Not the Beowolf

But Lilith.

Lilith was the most important thing to me right now. Not even my _own_ life mattered as much as Lilith's survival.

So, I looked at her, stared at her, and she stared right back, surprise and…hope…in her eyes.

_Well, that settles that, I can't let her down now_. I thought, steeling myself for the fight ahead. There was no turning back now.

There wasn't a shred of doubt of fear in me anymore. Just courage, determination, and acceptance. I might have been a failure before, but I couldn't afford to be one now.

So, with the path set before me, I looked to the Ursa once more. I stared in its big, red, hate filled eyes, and for a moment, just a moment, I saw something else. If I hadn't spent time around people who only really talked with their eyes, namely Lilith, I wouldn't have noticed it, but I did.

It was…surprise.

Not fear, I don't know if Grimm could feel fear, but…whatever…I had just done, I had surprised it. Apparently it hadn't expected me to do this either.

Shrugging it off as interesting, but something to worry about later, just like this weird…energy field… I focused back on the present.

So, with a battle cry that harnessed my pure, focused, raw courage and will, I charged the Bear. It matched me with a roar of its own, charging at me.

It raised its paw, ready to smash it down upon me, to crush me into a pile of bloody mush, to tear me into ribbons of meat. In response I raised my shield to block the blow.

When the Ursa hit it, I felt like I had been smacked by the Hand of God, I felt like I was going to falter, to fail. Then that energy surged forth again, filling my arm with power, with strength, and I held. Just when I was beginning to fail, my energy pushed back, giving me the strength I needed, the strength I always doubted I had.

So, when it swung down on me like the Hand of God, I responded in turn with his shield. I did more than block the blow, I deflected it, pushing back against the mountain of muscle, bone, and hate. I pushed my shield up, knocking its arm up and out, putting the Ursa off balance.

And then, with one more cry of force, I _swung_.

I swung my sword hard and fast, my white energy flowing through the blade itself, enhancing it. It connected with the Ursa's durable, meaty, neck, and kept going. It cut through the tendons, muscle, and bone like they weren't even there. It just kept going and going, until finally its work was done.

With one almighty swing, I decapitated the Ursa, sending its bloody head flying into the forest as blood erupted from its neck.

Without even stopping to admire my handiwork, I lunged toward the Beowolf standing over Lilith. Before it even had time know what was going on, I swung down with my glowing sword. In one swing, I liberated its head, shoulder, and the arm pinning Lilith to the ground from its body in another geyser of blood and gore.

* * *

**? 2 pov**

_What if this wasn't a dream?_ I thought, doubt rising up once more.

I slowly raised the gun the side of my head, trying to fight against the doubt.

_What if this_ _is_ _suicide. That's something I_ _never_ _want to do._ I thought.

Suicide was supposed to be incredibly disgracing, the ultimate act of cowardice.

Is that what I was doing right now? Being a coward? Taking the easy way out instead of dying like a warrior?

Again?

I heard the howls sound off once more. The Grimm sounded even closer. If I didn't make up my mind soon, they would.

I put the gun up to my head before another thought crossed my mind.

_What if…what if help's on the way? What if this_ _is_ _real, and a group of hunters are seconds away from saving me?_

I continued to wonder and doubt, even as I felt the cold steel of my gun press against my temple.

* * *

**Jaune pov**

I looked down at a stunned Lilith, who in turn looked up at me in surprise. I held my hand down to her, gesturing for her to take it.

After a moment of staring she once again accepted my hand, allowing me to pull her up off the ground.

"Thanks Juane." She said in that same hollow voice as usual, but this time there was a measure of…something else in there.

"No problem. I won't let anything happen to you while I'm around." I declared

She just seemed to nod and accept that. Then she shifted her vision. Instead of looking at me, she looked at something…behind me.

"Uh…Lili-?" I asked before I felt something behind me.

* * *

**? 2 pov**

The cold, metal tip of Gambol's barrel pressed against the hot skin of my sweaty temple.

_This is it. I have to make my decision know. I can't wait anymore._ I thought as I began to see the Grimm chasing me at the other end of the clearing.

They ran toward me hungrily, ready to feast on my flesh, to rend me to pieces.

_I'm sacred. I'm so so scared, but I have to make a decision_.

* * *

Suddenly, I turned around to see a large, white…thing, staring down at me.

I might have called it a Beowolf, but I couldn't be sure if it was. Unlike most Grimm, it was white, had eyes as black and as empty as night, and it looked a bit different than a Beowolf. Also, it was huge. Probably as big as that Ursa I killed, but 12 times meaner.

I wasn't sure, I didn't get a good look before it made a move.

* * *

I sighed, letting most of my fear and doubt leave me as I let what was left of my courage take hold.

I looked at the horde of Grimm before me, running toward me, and made my decision.

My finger twitched.

* * *

The last thought I had before the White Wolf ended me was simple.

_Well…at least I could be a hero for a moment. I'm glad I was able to make a difference_

_**CRACK!** _

And then, there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

_I want to wake up from this nightmare_ I thought, closing my eyes as I slowly applied pressure to the trigger.

_I hope I open my eyes again_.

_**BANG!** _

And then I was thrown into the void.

* * *

…

…

…

…

Nothing.

…

…

…

Nothing but darkness.

…

…

…

I was dead.

…

…

…

Then I wasn't

* * *

**? 2 pov**

It started with a twitch.

Then exploded into life.

I jolted awake, taking in a fresh, _real_ gulp of air as I gasped. My eyes flew open as realized that I was _alive_.

I got up from my sleeping mat and looked around. I was back in the ballroom. I had never left.

_I was right. It was all a dream_ I thought as something grew in me.

It started as a small chuckle, before growing into a full blown laugh.

I had beaten death. I had found a way out of that dream, of the _nightmare_

_Looks like suicide's the answer after all,_ I thought dryly as I sobered up. I continued to look around the ballroom

It looks like almost everyone had already left. There were only a couple people still in here.

First, a blond boy in blue footie pajamas. It looked like he just got up to, based on the way he was blearily blinking, trying to understand what was going on, trying to remember where he was.

Second, two people. A boy in green with black hair with a stripe of pink in it. He was hugging a girl with orange hair who was crying in his arms. There was something in his eyes, concern, worry, fear, I couldn't be sure. Frankly, he looked like he had had his own brush with death.

Third, the last two, while not together or even near each other, were in the same position.

One was a girl with a large mane of golden yellow hair.

The second was a tall girl with deep, scarlet hair and a bronze headpiece.

Both of them were tossing and turning in their sleep.

Golden girl had a look of fear and loss on her face, like she was in some hellish nightmare and just wanted to escape. Scarlet, however…

Scarlet had a vicious snarl on her face. She looked as if she was literally _battling_ her demons, fighting with tooth and nail.

I looked back to the blond boy, who had apparently noticed Scarlet's plight. He got up and walked his way over to her, a concerned look on his face. He reached down and was about to shake her awake, to break her out of her nightmare.

It was a noble cause, but he must not have much experience with this kind of thing. When someone with combat training is having a nightmare that bad, you never want to be near them when you try to rouse them from their terrors. So, I watched from afar and simply thought one thing.

_That's not going to end well_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah...
> 
> Yeah, I'm not apologizing.
> 
> So anyway, did you like my magic trick?
> 
> I've you've seen the Prestige, or know enough about it, you'd know what I was getting at in the beginning of the last chapter.
> 
> 3 Parts to a magic trick
> 
> 1\. Show off something ordinary (The RWBY characters)
> 
> 2\. Do something extraordinary with it (Kill them all)
> 
> BUT, you can't stop there.
> 
> 3\. You have to bring them back (Was a dream/nightmare the whole time)
> 
> Yeah
> 
> That's right motherfuckers
> 
> I was in the mood for some crazy Christopher Nolan shenanigans
> 
> Combined the Presitge and Inception in this bitch.
> 
> Besides, at no point did I actually say Ren was dead.
> 
> In fact, I never said any of them were dead.
> 
> That being said, I am interested to know when you figured out it was all a dream.
> 
> And, if you can, give me some suggestions as to how to hide it better


	8. Scene 8: Waking Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final Scene in the arc. Rounds out the beginning of Beacon. Wraps it up with lots of character interactions, some comforting, and a bit more Madness.

**Ren pov**

**4:00 am**

I woke with a start in a cold sweat. I jolted up, gulping in buckets of air, trying to catch my breath.

_Was I…dead?_ I wondered.

I was extremely confused, and more than a little frightened. I had just died, from a Deathstalker stabbing me in the gut before it threw me into a tree so hard I-

_Let's not think about that again_ I thought, trying to shake the thoughts of that…nightmare…from my mind.

I looked around to see what had happened, where I was. I was still shaking off the thoughts of the nightmare, trying to get my bearings and determine what was real, and what was a dream.

_I'm still in the ballroom_ I thought.

So, since I'm still in the ballroom, that meant none of the initiation had actually happened. It was all a dream. A very, very strange and very, very dark dream, but a dream nonetheless.

_That being said_ I thought, reconsidering.

I can't help but feel like the dream was something…more…than just a simple dream. I don't really know what, maybe it was my subconscious trying to tell me something, a vision of the future, or simply a reminder to not eat so much of Nora's cooking again. In any case, I would need time to process it, as well as time to calm down.

My heart was still racing as bullets of sweat rolled down my trembling body. My breath was still shaky and shallow. It felt like the rest of my body, and even parts of my mind, was still playing catch up to the idea that I didn't really die, that it was all a dream.

I let out another breath, trying to calm myself down again. I got to my feet, deciding that a nice walk in the cool morning air would do me good. It was still dark out, but one look at my scroll told me that was because it was very early in the morning, about 4:00 am, rather than still being night.

There's also the fact that there's no way I could go back to sleep again after that nightmare.

As I got up to leave the boy's side of the room I noticed that I didn't appear to be the only one who wasn't sleeping well. Many of them were whimpering, tossing and turning, or otherwise having restless sleep. Some were even awake, though they all looked horrified, like they had just been in their own personal hell.

_I guess I wasn't the only one with a nightmare_ I thought.

Though, unlike them, I wasn't just sitting around telling myself it wasn't real.

_In any case, Nora should be up in about 4 hours. I might as well see about getting some pancakes for her while I'm up._ I thought as I left the room.

* * *

**5:00 am**

I had finally finished my run around the school. At first I started with a simple walk to think these things through, then it turned into a jog, then finally a run. Thinking about the nightmare made me realize a few things about myself, and the initiation.

While I continued to think about these things I made my way to the cafeteria to see if they were open, or to see if I could use the kitchen. Even if I wasn't going to be making Nora's pancakes, I found cooking to be…relaxing. It certainly helps to take my mind off things.

On my way there, I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I lost track of my surroundings. As I made my way through an intersection, I ran into someone else who was rounding the corner.

Literally.

We bumped into each other in the dark corridor, though I was fortunate and alert enough to keep my balance. She wasn't so lucky. The young girl was knocked onto the ground by the collision, giving a short cry of surprise, then of pain as she hit the ground.

After regaining my bearings, I looked her over. She was a pale young girl, about my age, with long white hair and a scar to the side of her left eye. She was currently wearing a pale nightgown. She was sitting there, her hand on her head, still dazed from the collision.

Deciding to take responsibility for my careless actions, as well as being polite, I offered her a hand up.

"Miss?" I said quietly, trying to get her attention.

In response she looked up in surprise, staring me in the eyes for a second, before she seemed to notice my hand. With a simple "oh" She took it, and I helped her up.

"Thank you." She said politely after she got back on her feet.

"It's the least I could do for not paying attention to where I was going." I responded courteously

"Nonsense, you are not the only one at fault for losing track of their surroundings." She said in kind

"I suppose not." I said, giving her a small smile for her surprising graciousness. A smile she returned.

"My name is Lie Ren, though you can just call me Ren" I said, introducing myself.

At that she seemed to be slightly embarrassed, her face blushing red.

"Right, of course, where are my manners." She muttered, apparently embarrassed at her apparent rudeness.

I simply raised an eyebrow at her as I awaited her response.

She cleared her throat, stood straight up, and puffed her chest out

"I am Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company." She announced proudly, her chin held high.

In response I just looked at her for a couple seconds, processing that information, before stoically nodding in understanding.

_Cool_ I thought

She seemed to be taken off guard by my…underwhelming…reaction.

"That's it?" She questioned

I shrugged, helpless to do much more than explain why.

"I have a close friend who's essentially the living incarnation of spontaneity. I've gotten used to surprises." I explained simply

"I-I see…" She said, trailing off in a manner that said otherwise.

Shaking her head, she refocused on something more important.

"In any case, could you direct me to the kitchen?" She asked

I raised an eyebrow again at the sheer coincidence of this before answering.

"Actually, I'm heading there myself. Feel free to join me." I responded calmly, inviting her to follow me.

My response cause her to look at me in mild surprise, apparently she saw the coincidence as well. She then appeared to simply acknowledge it as fact and moved on.

So, on we walked, with me leading the way, to the kitchen in the early hours the morning in mutual silence. The both of us up far before it would be reasonable, but neither deciding to question it.

When we finally got there, we saw that the cafeteria was apparently open, but nobody was there yet, not even the staff. We went into the open kitchen and found that, it too, was devoid of life, yet still open for us to enter.

Weiss looked around the room nervously, obviously uncomfortable with being somewhere she felt she shouldn't be. I, on the other hand, went about taking stock of what they had and where it was.

Finally, likely due to her nervousness, she spoke again.

"Um…so…why are you up at this hour?" She asked somewhat timidly

I paused, still holding a cabinet door open when she asked. Her question once again brought back the memories of that nightmare.

"I…couldn't sleep." I responded after a moment, resuming my inventory of the kitchen. "Had a…nightmare." I decided to continue.

She seemed to react to that, jolting up, as if I reminded her of something. Something best left forgotten.

"Ye-yeah…me too." She said quietly, obviously not expecting that.

"W-what was yours about?" She asked, trying to keep the conversation going, refusing to let it die. She seemed like she really need to talk about this, to get this out.

I sighed, not really wanting to bring it up. One look, however, at that sad, nervous, expression on her face as she looked down at her interlocked fingers convinced me to say it anyway.

"I had a dream about the Initiation." I began, something which got her attention again, causing her to look up.

"In the…nightmare…I…died…" I said slowly, having to force out each and every word. I felt that fear, that shock, come back in small waves. Not as bad as when I first experienced it, but I could still remember it clearly. Too clearly.

I let out another breath, trying to calm myself down.

"Me too." She said, shaking me out of my thoughts.

When she said that, I turned to her, confusion and surprise evident on my face.

"I-I had a nightmare like that too." She began to explain, appearing to have the same problem as me.

"It was the initiation and everything was going well, but then the Grimm just kept coming and coming, and they…they…" She continued, trying to explain, but at the end she seemed to lose her nerve.

She seemed to be taken back, reminded of what happened in that dream, that nightmare. She played with her hand nervously, her movements tense and scared as she gazed down at her feet. Her breaths became shaky as she became overwhelmed with emotions. She looked on the verge of losing herself to her memories and feelings.

In a show of support, understanding, and compassion, I provided an anchor to reality. I walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. When she looked up in surprise, looking at me with watery blue eyes, I just gave her a small understanding smile.

"Me too." I said simply, letting her know she wasn't alone.

She nodded, taking in a breath as she acknowledged this. She seemed to calm down, relaxing a bit. She bit her lip, looking to the side nervously, before looking at me again.

"So…how'd you…" She said, trailing off, unable to say it. But that's all she needed to say.

I let out another breath as the memory of the Deathstalker stabbing me, impaling me, and throwing me into a tree hard enough to tear my body to pieces, flowed through my brain again.

"Deathstalker." I answered simply "You?"

"Beowolf." She whispered before shutting her mouth, unable to continue as the memories brought that fear, that terror back into her.

I nodded in understanding, saying nothing more on the matter as we stood there, sharing our misery, our fear, our terror, our horror.

Our death.

Finally I decided it would be best if we moved on from this topic. So, I moved away from her, resuming my task of taking inventory of the kitchen.

"So, why'd you want to come to the kitchen?" I asked, trying to take her mind off her death.

She took a moment to try to compose herself, to regain her dignity before responding.

"I, uh, there's a certain…dish…I like to eat, and it always makes me feel better. I was hoping they had something like it to help calm me down, to…" She began, trailing off again.

I nodded, understanding what she was getting at. While I didn't necessarily like to eat to feel better, I did like the comfort, the order, of cooking to get my mind off things.

"But…it looks like that won't be happening." She said sorrowfully

"Actually..." I began, wanting to cheer the sad heiress up, "I happen to have some talent as a chef. Nothing too fancy or anything, but if you tell me what it is, I could see what I can do." I suggested

At this she looked at me, a measure of hope and surprise in her eyes.

"Really? You could do that?" She asked

"Maybe. It depends, just tell me what it is and I'll do the best I can." I explained.

She nodded in assent, taking in a breath.

"Okay, just, promise not to laugh, okay?" She asked.

I paused my searching once more to turn and give her a quizzical look.

"Promise!" She insisted seriously

In response I slowly nodded my head, not understanding where this was going, but not wanting to disrespect her.

"Okay, it's called…it's called…Schneeballen." She said finally, forcing the last word out as quickly as possible.

I blinked, not sure if I heard it right. I looked at her silently for confirmation.

"Yes, Schneeballen." She answered, growing flustered at the name.

I stared at her for a couple seconds as my brain checked and re-checked to make sure it was right.

Finally I gave her a wry smile and a snort of amusement before turning back to my work.

"It's not funny!" She cried out in embarrassment and outrage.

I waved her off, saying silently _"Yeah, yeah."_

"The two names have nothing to do with each other!" She cried indignantly

When she said this I peeked my head out from the cabinet door it was behind, giving her a skeptical look.

"…okay, maybe they have _something_ to do with each other." She conceded

"But that's not why I like them!" She quickly argued.

I silently hid my head behind the cabinet door once more, trying to hide the smile growing on my face.

"So, what is a…Schneeballen?" I asked, desperately trying to keep the smile out of my voice.

"No, Schneeballen is plural, it's like saying doughnuts. You mean a Schnee _ball_." She corrected, irritated at the slight against her favorite food.

"Sorry" I apologized, more out of formality that anything else.

She "hmphed", obviously still indignant, but still explained it to me.

"A Schneeball is a delicious, sugary ball of wrapped up strips of dough. That's where it gets the name, because it resembles a snowball with all the delicious, sweet, powdered sugar covering it.." She explained. The second she began speaking of her favorite food her voice melted from indignant to forlorn pleasure.

I frowned as I tried to picture it, as well as how to make it.

"Hmm…I think I can do something like that…" I began, coming up with a basic plan to make something along those lines.

"But just to be sure, why don't you help?" I asked, looking at her once more.

She seemed surprised, taken aback by this.

"Me?" She asked, wondering why I would ask her help.

"Yeah. Even if you don't know how to make one yourself, you've had one. You know what they're like. You can help me get as close to the real thing as possible." I explained.

She thought about it for a couple seconds, wondering whether my idea had any merit. Finally, she relented.

"I guess I could try." She said slowly, still somewhat skeptical, but willing to give it a try.

* * *

**6:00 am**

And so with that the two of us spent the next hour trying to make these Schneeballen Weiss so adored. We eventually got close enough for her to be satisfied, though we did have a few failures.

While she enjoyed her Schneeballen, I proceeded to prepare Nora's pancakes by making the batter for them. I would actually _make_ them once she got up, that way she wouldn't have to eat cold pancakes. Not that she would complain if they were, but she deserved better than that.

While I made them, we continued to talk. Even though Nora is indisputably my closest friend, the fact is she can be…draining…

In comparison, Wiess is something of a breath of fresh air. She's polite and organized, if a bit prideful. Sure, she can be somewhat…demanding, and on occasion stuck up, and nothing like Nora, but…I kind of like that about her.

At about 6:00 am, when the sun was beginning to come up, we said goodbye and parted ways.

"Thank you, Ren, for…everything." Weiss said graciously "It was…nice…having someone to talk to."

"You're welcome, but don't forget, you helped me too. Besides, I got a new recipe out of this." I responded with a small smile

She chuckled at my comment. When she sobered up, she looked at me again and formally said, "Well then, Lie Ren, have a good day. I hope we can become teammates."

"I feel the same, Weiss Schnee. Stay safe out there." I responded in kind.

And with that, we parted ways. Weiss explored the campus more, seeking out other people to attempt to partner up with. I, on the other hand, headed back to the ballroom to check up on Nora.

A handful of people had come into the cafeteria while Weiss and I were there. They didn't bother us, but it was becoming apparent to the two of us that we weren't the only ones who didn't sleep well. Taking that under consideration, I couldn't help but worry about my childhood friend.

So, I re-entered the ballroom and made my way over to where I knew Nora had been sleeping. I found her, standing with her back to me, packing up her sleeping bag and sleepwear, which she had changed out of.

"Nora?" I said, getting her attention.

The instant I said that, she spun around, her eyes widened at the sight of me, and a face splitting smile broke across her face.

"Ren!" She exclaimed, running over to hug me with her bear-like strength.

As I felt my bones being turned to powder under the power of her hug, I sought to save myself.

"Nora." I squeezed out calmly, knowing that's all I needed to say.

Instantly, she released me and retreated back a couple feet, giving me space.

"Oops, sorry Ren." She said, trying to appear as the same ever cheerful Nora as usual.

Unfortunately for her, I could tell something was up. She was…nervous. There was a measure of…something…in her, something she was trying to hide.

"Nora, what's wrong?" I asked sincerely, concerned.

"What?! What are you talking about?! Nothing's wrong!" She frantically tried to deny.

I didn't believe it for an instant.

"Nora." I repeated, this time in a tone that brokered no argument.

She sighed, realizing that she couldn't hide it from me. She could never hide anything from me.

"It's nothing Ren, it was just a nightmare. A silly, stupid, nightmare." She said, though I could tell it was anything but.

I quirked my eyebrow, my suspicions rising. I had a feeling that her nightmare, and the ones of everyone else, myself and Weiss included, weren't random.

"Let me guess, it was about the initiation today." I guessed, trying to get her to open up about it.

After I talked with Weiss about the nightmare, I felt better. I didn't forget it, I could never forget that horror, that terror, but it felt good to talk about it. I knew that if Nora just bottled it up inside, it would really affect her. No matter how much she just wanted to shove this painful memory inside a vault and pretend it never happened, she needed to talk about it.

So I pushed her.

I pushed her to talk about what I suspected, was her death.

When I mentioned the initiation, her eyes widened, her mouth dropped slightly, and a look of surprise appeared on her face.

"How did you…?" She began, trailing off

"I…I had the same dream." I explained, still hesitant to talk about my death.

With that, her look of surprised grew into mute horror.

"Ren…" She said softly, surprised by my admission. She gulped, bringing up her courage to say what she needed to. "Did you…die?" she continued, her concern and horror growing in equal amounts.

As much as her nightmare scared her, the idea that I had my own, just as bad, horrified her more than hers ever could.

I sighed, still not liking the idea of talking about the nightmare. Sure, talking with Weiss had made me feel better, but that was a far cry from being comfortable with it. I doubt I would ever truly feel comfortable about the incredibly vivid and realistic dream about my death.

I simply nodded in confirmation, unwilling to voice it.

And with that her eyes began to water as her heartbreaking concern for me won out. The idea that I had to suffer what she did, and she could do nothing to help me, _killed_ her on the inside.

Not a moment later, she lunged at me, bringing me into another crushing hug. She cried into my chest, her concern for me flowing freely down her face and onto my shirt.

This time I let her do it. I could have stopped it if I wanted to, I could have gotten annoyed that she was ruining my shirt, or that she was crushing me again. Instead I was relieved that she was letting it all out. Nora may be a person capable of boundless joy and happiness, but so too could she feel deep, depressing sorrow.

As she cried in my arms, I took the time to look around.

I noticed that almost everyone else in the room had already cleared out, there was only few people left in here.

Across the room from me was a girl in a dark sleeping yukata, laughing to herself about something. There was something…different…about that laugh, though. It wasn't a laugh about something specifically funny, more about something survived.

There was also a blond boy in blue footie pajamas who looked like he was just getting up.

And finally, there were two girls still asleep.

The first had a large mane of bright, golden blond hair. The second, had long scarlet hair.

The golden girl looked like she was having a hellish nightmare filled with anguish and despair. Her face a rictus of pain, loss, and guilt.

Scarlet, however, had a look of cold, focused wrath on her face. She had fierce snarl of struggle, of effort and ferocity on her face.

Apparently the blond boy noticed Scarlet, and decided he was going to try to help her.

_Oh, that won't end well for him_ I thought.

* * *

**Jaune pov**

**6:30 am**

_Well…that was…weird_

That's all I could really say about the matter.

Apparently, it had all been a dream, even though it _felt so real_. That being said, the dream was surprisingly…uplifting, as well as weird.

I mean, I saved Lilith from the Grimm. That was great, maybe I'm not such a hopeless loser after all. At the same time…

_What the hell was that White Wolf at the end?_

I _think_ it was a white Beowolf, and I think it killed me. It sounded like it did, but I didn't feel anything. I didn't even see anything. One second I'm looking at a giant white Beowolf, the next everything's dark and I hear a disturbing _Crack_.

Then I'm awake.

Then there's the fact that I felt…different. Like if when that strange glowing thing happened to me in the dream, it actually happened. I'm not entirely sure how to explain it

In the end, after taking a couple moments to shake the sleep off and get my bearings again, I decided to move on, shrugging it off as nothing terribly important. Instead I decided to look around the room.

Apparently almost everyone had left. In fact, there was only a couple people left. A girl in a black…robe thingy, a girl with orange hair hugging a guy with black hair with a pink stripe in it and…

A girl with scarlet red hair tossing and turning in her sleep.

She looked like she was having some kind of horrible nightmare. Most might have seen this and moved on, but I just couldn't find it in m to do that. Especially not after that dream. So, I got up, and made my way over to her, determined to wake her from her nightmare.

I walk over to her sleeping bag, crouch down, and reach down, touching her shoulder with my right arm. The second I apply the slightest shake to wake her up, I immediately regret my actions.

Her startlingly cold, dark, emerald green eyes shoot open, and in a flash my world is flipped upside down. Before I know it, I'm on the ground with the Scarlet girl pulling my right arm up and away from me in an incredibly uncomfortable position. Her foot is firmly planted on my neck, choking me.

I'm helpless. If she wanted to, she could break my arm, or even kill me, and I wouldn't be able to do a thing about it.

I look at her cold, wrathful green eyes in fear, in terror. I silently beg her to let me go, to let me live. I can't even talk because her foot's cutting off my air supply. As my vision begins to blur from lack of air, she changes.

She blinks, shakes her head, and when she opens them again, those cold, wrathful, dark emerald eyes are replaced with warm, bright, kind ones. She looks down at me, and what she's doing to me, and recoils in horror of what she's done, dropping my arm and stepping of my neck.

I cough, holding my sore neck as I struggle to return the life giving air to my lungs.

"Oh my god! I am so so sorry!" She apologizes emphatically, giving me a hand up.

At first, I'm hesitant to take it after what she did to me, but another look in her eyes is all I need to accept it. I can tell that she is not only sorry for what she's done, but horrified by it.

I take her hand, and with barely any effort, she pulls me up to my feet. Still coughing, I manage to choke out, "What…was…that?"

"Oh, I, er…" She begins bashfully, ashamed of her actions. "I was just having a bad dream. You just caught me at a bad time is all."

"Really?" I manage to say, my throat finally working properly again.

"Yeah, again, I am so sorry I did that. I don't normally do that to people I meet." She said, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment.

Now that I'm not dying anymore, I can take a closer look at her.

She's certainly beautiful. Beautiful, and tall. Seriously, she's a head taller than. Not only that, but I can see definite muscle tone throughout her body. Based on how she reacted when I tried to wake her up, I'm willing to bet she has skill too. She has long red hair in a ponytail, and a bronze headpiece that looks like it's holding it in place.

She's like some kind of…Amazonian warrior woman.

"In that case, I guess it's okay. It was just…instincts, right?" I respond, trying to comfort her.

She seemed to be honestly remorseful about what she did, so I decided to forgive her. I'd probably have forgiven her anyway, I'm terrible at holding grudges.

At that she visibly relaxed, letting out a breath of air.

"Yeah, just instincts." She agrees, though there's something lurking under that, something deeper beneath it.

"So, my name's Jaune Arc. Short swe-" I begin before I remember when I said the exact same thing to Lilith, as well as how that turned out.

_Never again_ I think in horror.

"-Er, just Jaune Arc." I correct myself, my smile only faltering for moment. I hold out my hand, inviting her to take it and introduce herself to me.

She stares at the hand for a moment as a strange look crosses her face for an instant.

Then she smiles nervously, hesitantly taking my hand. I can tell she's trying to be gentle, but it still feels like she's crushing every bone in my hand.

"Pyrrah Nikos." She replies with a beaming, if nervous, smile.

"Sorry again for that." She apologizes again as her smile falters.

_Wow, she still feels bad about that_

"It's no problem. Besides, that just means you'll be a great teammate!" I say, trying to cheer her up.

She looks surprised by what I say, as if that wasn't something she'd ever expect me to say. As if no one's ever said that to her.

"R-really? You want to be on a team with me?" She questions in disbelief.

"Yeah! Of course, why not?" I respond, a smile on my face.

"Don't you know who I am?" She asks, growing confused.

"Of course I do!" I cheerfully respond.

At that, her face falls into despair.

"Oh…I see-" She begins to say

"You're Pyrrah Nikos, the beautiful tall girl who can kick my ass!" I continue, heedless to what she was saying.

Then we both freeze as we realize what I said.

"I said that out loud didn't I?" I question, a frozen smile on my face.

At that she covers her mouth as she chuckles a little.

"Yes, yes you did." She responds, smiling again.

_Not again_ I think as I let my face fall in embarrassment. I was successful in cheering her up, but not in the way I had wanted, and once again, I made a fool of myself.

She chuckles again at my misery, patting me on the shoulder.

"Thank you Jaune. I would love to be your teammate." She beams at me

"Really?" I say hopefully, looking up at her.

"Of course." She responds with a bright smile, one I quickly return.

Then she grimaces, holding her head.

"Uh, sorry Jaune, I need to go to the restroom. But thank you for your offer." She says, trying to work a smile through her obvious pain.

She quickly makes her way out of the ballroom, grabbing her bag of stuff on her way out.

"Well…that was weird." I say to no one in particular.

_She was nice though. I hope we do become teammates._

* * *

**Pyrrah pov**

**6:45 am**

I ran into the bathroom after my head-splitting migraine hit me. I barely had enough time to give a weak goodbye to that boy, Jaune, and grab my stuff.

I let the door swing shut behind me, quickly running to a sink in the clean, white, room. I dropped my bag beside, me, and turned the faucet on. I rinsed my face in the cold water, cooling me off as I tried to relieve the stress building in me after that…dream.

I looked up in the mirror, looking to see how I looked after all my rinsing. I figured I looked horrible. I feel like I didn't get any real, meaningful sleep. It was only my pleasant meeting with Jaune that helped calm me down at all. Even still, I felt this incredible pressure in my head. So, I tried to see how horrible I looked.

Instead I saw a 12-year old girl staring back at me. She has long crimson hair that simply falls down from her head. She stares back at me with hardened, crimson eyes that were almost black they were so dark. They're filled with an ice cold fury, and she has stern frown on her face. Most unsettling of all, is that she's absolutely covered, head to toe, in blood.

Deep, crimson, blood.

She looks like some kind of scarlet demon staring back at me. The blood covers every inch of her skin, staining it red with the wet, crimson, juice of life.

I close my eyes and shake my head, trying to purge the image from my mind.

_It's not real. It's not real. It's not real_. I keep telling myself.

I let out a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I count down from ten, trying to let the stress leave my body. At zero I open my eyes.

And I'm staring back at myself again.

I let out a sigh of relief, glad everything's back to normal.

_I guess that nightmare really got to me_ I think to myself, coming up for an explanation for what I saw.

_Now I'm seeing things._

This, of course, brought me back to thinking about my nightmare again.

Most people would have probably chalked it up to nerves or something, but I wasn't even remotely nervous about entering the Grimm infested forest. The thing I was most nervous about was meeting my partner.

_Which I never did in the nightmare. Maybe that's what it was about? My fears about not finding a partner, and always being alone?_ I thought, throwing up another suggestion.

It was the only answer that made sense.

Another wave of excruciating pain flowing through my head scrambles my thoughts, filling me a pulse of agony that pushes everything else out. I clench my eyes shut and grip the edges of the sink as I try to let the pain pass.

"Are you alright?" A voice asks, cutting through the darkness.

I jolt up, whirling around to the source of the voice. I have to _force_ myself not to react, to not try and…eliminate…a potential threat.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Says a girl with black hair wearing a black yukata, bow, and a bag slung over her shoulder, holding up her hands in a non-threatening fashion.

Of real note is the fact that despite being surprised by my reaction, she was still able to react to it. When I spun around I could hear her jump back a foot or two, getting outside my striking range. Normally, I'd dismiss it, never think about it again. It'd simply be a small, ignored, footnote about the girl.

But now, after that nightmare, some deep dark part of my mind said, _Interesting_

I stop, trying to reign myself in. I let out another shaky breath. I still feel that tension, that pressure. It strains me, pushes me, but I try to ignore it. I open my eyes and look back up at her.

"I'm fine." I say, giving a weak, pained, smile. "Just a…nightmare. A nightmare and headache."

She nods slowly after a second, accepting it.

"Okay. I was just worried after what I saw with you and that blond boy. You seemed to run in here like he said something to upset you." She explained.

"What!" I say in surprise, my eyes widening. "No! No no no, Jaune didn't do anything!"

I take another breath, arranging my thoughts in the time it takes me to blink.

"Jaune, the blond boy, didn't do anything. He was…sweet, but he came at a bad time. I just had a really bad dream, and woke up with a migraine." I explain to her.

She quirks an eyebrow, but seems to accept it.

"Well then, sorry for interrupting you." She apologizes. She pauses, as if considering what to do next, or if the next course of action is a good one.

"My name's Blake, Blake Belladonna." She finally says, introducing herself and holding out her hand.

When I take it, I can't help but notice her wince as another spasm of pain racks my body, involuntarily forcing me to clench my hand.

"Pyrrah Nikos." I respond in kind with another pained smile.

"Do you want something for your headache?" She asks, concerned.

Some part of me resists this, insisting that I not intrude on her. Another says that I can't trust her, that there's something…different…about her. Something…dangerous.

I ignore these thoughts, struggling to bring my mind back together.

"That would be great." I reply, grimacing and closing my eyes as another pulse of agony erupts from my head.

She reaches into the bag slung over her shoulder, searching for something. She makes a sound, noting that she found it.

She pulls out a long, wickedly curved, knife with a gut hook, dripping wet with fresh, crimson, blood.

My subconscious immediately wants to react, to move, to neutralize the threat. I force it down, and blink, shaking the thoughts away.

When I open my eyes, the knife is gone, and its place is a bottle of ibuprofen.

She shakes out a couple of the red pills, handing them to me. I graciously accept, thanking her for it. She responds with a stoic nod as I ingest the crimson tablets, ignoring the voice in my head telling me they're poison.

I close my eyes and let out a breath of relief. It'll be a little while before they actually start to kick in, but just knowing they're there helps relieve a little bit of the tension inside my skull.

Opening them again, I turn back to the girl in black, Blake.

"Thank you again." I say sincerely.

"Well, had a pretty bad dream myself, but it looks like you had a worse one. Just wanted to lend a hand." She explains

"Really?" I say, attempting to make small talk, but somewhat ignorant of how to do it well.

"What happened?" I ask, getting into a large stall to change.

She pauses for a minute, not saying anything. At first I'm worried I scared off someone else I could have been friends with by asking a bad question, but then she answers.

"I was trapped in hell, and I had to kill myself to escape." She answers with a shaky breath, still affected by the memory.

"I…I can't imagine what that's like." I said, feeling incredible horror and pity for the girl.

But then a little voice in my head scoffed and said, _She doesn't know hell, she knows a bad dream. You can't wake up from hell_

I clamp down on it, trying to shut it up, to stomp it out.

After just a moment to get into my underwear, I reply with my own nightmare.

"I dreamt that I had to fight. I had to fight forever, without an end in sight. I just kept fighting, and killing, and killing. They just kept coming, and I just couldn't stop. It was like that's all my existence consisted of, fighting." I answered, an unknowable mix of emotions leaking into my voice.

There was guilt, horror, fear, anger, rage, some exotic cocktail of darkness. I can't even begin to describe my reaction to that dream, because I don't even know myself.

I could hear her pause in the process of dressing herself. I could almost hear the gears in her head processing that, thinking it over, what it meant, what it entailed, what kind of hell I had.

"I don't even know what to say about that." She said finally said.

I laughed a cold, hollow, mirthless laugh, devoid of joy. "Neither do I."

And with that, I exited the stall, done getting changed.

It appeared she was done as well, currently wearing a tight black and white outfit, and the same black bow as before. It was then I noticed she had amber eyes that held something in them. It was something most people wouldn't have recognized, wouldn't have noticed. But I did.

Those were the eyes of a predator.

I knew, because I saw those same eyes not 5 minutes ago in the mirror.

_Looks like someone else has some…experience…on their hands_ that dark voice spoke once more.

* * *

**Ruby pov**

**7:00 am**

_I'm starting to think this wasn't the best idea_ I thought, my head still pounding with un-ending waves of agony.

I looked back up in the mirror. Reflecting back at me I saw my alabaster white face, marred by two streams of red trailing from either nostril, and two bloodshot eyes. My nose bleed had since calmed down and closed up thanks to my aura, but it was indicative of the fact that I probably pushed myself too far.

_But…_

I had learned a lot from it. Quite a lot, in fact. It turned out to be surprisingly effective, if draining. So, while I may wish I didn't have to deal with the severe blowback, I'm still happy about the results, so I won't whine about it hurting.

It's not like it even compares to some of the pain I've endured, of some of the agony I've suffered. I can deal with one little headache.

I walked out of the bathroom after cleaning myself up, making sure I didn't look like death itself.

Ms. Goodwitch was laying breakfast on the table when she was alerted to my presence from the sound of the door. She directed her attention to me, her eyes narrowing when got a good look at my face.

"Ruby! What happened to you?" She questioned sternly.

I sighed, realizing what was probably going to happen next. Apparently, I didn't clean up well enough.

"I didn't sleep well," I answered.

She sighed in exasperation.

"Ruby, you do know that today is the day of the initiation, right? You need to be at your best." She said, both concerned and annoyed.

"Not my fault." I pouted, sitting at the table.

"Oh really, then whose is it?" She remarked.

"Lucifer's," I said simply, digging into my eggs.

"Lucifer's?" She said skeptically

"Yep." I answered, swallowing my forkful of eggs and taking a drink of water.

"Are you finally going to tell me who he is?" She asked sardonically, still remembering what I told her last time.

That being said, I decided to humor her a bit. She'd proven enough of herself to me that I can trust her with at least _part_ of the truth.

"He's the voice in my head." I responded honestly with a straight face.

Though I couldn't help but have the corners of my mouth twitch upwards when I saw the look on her face.

_"My, my. It appears you've taken after me, after all._ _"_ He tells me.

_"My young disciple."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning is actually a testament to why I keep the plans about the future chapters, and character's relationships with each other, loose.
> 
> That thing with Ren and Weiss?
> 
> Totally unplanned.
> 
> They were just going to be acquaintances, like how they are in the show. In the show I don't think they ever actually even talk to each other.
> 
> But then I started writing it, and then Weiss kinda showed up, and the way I wrote them they kind of just meshed, and in the end I had them bond over them talking about their nightmares, and making Schneeballen.
> 
> Schneeballen, by the way, is a real thing. Look it up.
> 
> I did
> 
> I was looking for german desserts, something to add depth to Weiss's character, when I found Schneeballen, and I just couldn't Not do that.
> 
> Oh yeah, and everyone has been introduced, and everyone's bonded with someone. I don't have to have, like, twenty different ? povs.
> 
> Yea
> 
> The next chapter is going to be that start of the Emerald Forest arc, which, if you took note of how different thing already are, and my fan of the butterfly effect, shall be different.
> 
> How different?
> 
> You'll just have to wait and see.
> 
> Oh, and we'll find out about the dark secrets in Yang's nightmare later.


	9. Scene 9: Emerald Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beacon's Initiation finally kicks off. And the aftershocks of change finally take root.

* * *

**Ruby pov**

**8:30 Am**

_What am I going to do?_

We were approaching the cliff where we would be launched into the Emerald Forest to begin the Initiation. In there, we would find our partners, our teammates, and the ones we would have to rely on for the next four years here.

But I had a problem.

Jaune, whom I had encountered earlier, and had found to be surprisingly acceptable, was weak.

Really weak.

He could be easily manipulated, had potential, and was trustworthy, and that was what was important. I could mold him into becoming a strong and loyal pawn, or "friend", in time. More importantly, I had already committed myself to him when I made him pledge loyalty to me. Well, he agreed to be my friend, but for him it's essentially the same thing.

In any case, even if he had no potential, I would not abandon him simply because he was weak. I wouldn't be my family, discarding him like a broken and unwanted toy.

Still, though, the problem was, Jaune was weak. So weak, I wasn't entirely sure he was going to survive the launch, let alone the rest of the Initiation. Nor did I have a way to ensure we became partners, or even teammates.

Some people may have been resigned to go with Ozpin's method of selection, random chance. Some might have preferred to play fair, or to go with the hand fate dealt them.

I was not one of them. Fate had always the harshest of mistresses to me, and she wasn't going to change now. I didn't get to where I am now, alive in Beacon with things finally looking up for me, by playing fair, or following "fate". Just as Lucifer taught me, if you want to have fun, leave it to chance, but if you want to _win_ , stack the deck.

Besides, good girls followed the rules, and I certainly wasn't going to be a good girl anymore.

In any case, I needed to figure out what to do about Jaune, and how to keep him alive. He was something that was undoubtedly going to cause a lot of problems for me, but I had a feeling that it would be worth it in the end. He was an…investment, just like I was for Lucifer.

Still, it was very hard to think of a solution to the problem when it felt like someone was doing nuclear testing inside my skull. My headache hadn't gone away yet, I knew it wouldn't, and it likely wouldn't be going anywhere for at least a day. No amount of traditional medicine would fix that, it was just a fact.

Even worse, it didn't just hurt, it also weakened me. It wasn't just a matter of pain, it was a matter of fact. The pain was just a side effect of the real problem, which was why I was weak now. I would slower, less intelligent, less coordinated.

In a way, I suppose that was another problem, me. Right now I was probably about as weak as Jaune, if not weaker. I was technically in just as much danger as he was. Had I been in my normal state of mind, I might have cared more, but as it was I simply dismissed that fact and moved on.

I couldn't really do much about me, but I could do something about Jaune.

_But what? What can I do?_

And it was here, in my time of need, that Lucifer offered his ever so useful advice.

" _If the rules don't suite you, change the game."_ He suggested, his elegant and entrancing voice echoing in my mind.

And with that, I smiled. It was a small, tiny, smile, but it was indicative of the cunning elation I felt. With that simple, short, statement, Lucifer had opened my mind to possibilities I hadn't even considered. It only took me a couple seconds to figure out what I wanted to do, how I was going to save Jaune.

It would hurt, it would hurt a lot, and it would take a lot out of me, but it would work. Jaune would live, and my investment would be safe.

So, without another second to dawdle, I began making preparations.

"For years you have trained to be warriors, and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." Ozpin said, beginning his speech.

* * *

**Jaune pov**

**8:31 Am**

_Well, this is it, can't turn back now. This isn't a dream, this is the start of my journey._ I thought as I stood there on the cliff with the other initiates.

I was a little nervous.

Okay, that was a lie, I was scared shitless. I mean, I didn't doing too bad in the dream, but…

That was a dream, this is reality, and as not bad as the dream was, it still sucked ass. Frankly, that dream was a wakeup call that that this whole thing isn't a game, a happy little adventure for whimsical heroes.

So, considering how bad the _dream_ was, I was really worried about how bad _reality_ was going to be. But still…

_It's nice to know I'm not completely useless_ I thought, reminiscing about how I managed to save Lilith.

It wasn't exactly a clean victory, nor was it particularly fun. But the feeling of actually being successful, and saving someone for once?

There's nothing like it in the world.

Even if it was all just a very realistic dream

Still, though, I hadn't figured out what that business was with the weird glowing thing. And I still felt kinda weird.

_I guess I'll just have to figure it out later_.

Then there was the fact I was hearing that odd static sound in the background again. It was a little hard to notice over the sound of Professor Ozpin's voice as he explained everything to us, but it was still very much there.

_Maybe it's just a thing here_ I considered, but then again, I had only heard it before in the dream.

_Actually, that's kind of ominous now that I think about it_ I reconsidered, remembering how that ended.

And with that thought, I directed my attention back to the real world.

Somehow, someway, it seemed my dream was kinda prophetic. It turns out that the setup for the dream is actually how the Initiation is actually going to go. My only explanation is that they already said it before, and they're saying it again here.

"When you are done getting down into the forest, the first person you encounter will be your partner for the duration of your time in Beacon." Ozpin said.

_Yep, pretty much what happened in the dream. That being said, I don't actually remember_ _this_ _part happening, just being in the forest knowing what we had to do._ I thought.

I saw everyone get into position, getting ready to descend into the forest in their own way. Most of them were probably going to do some fancy trick they learned before they came here.

I was just going to climb down the cliff.

He never said we couldn't do that.

"…and be graded appropriately. Any questions?" He asked, wrapping up his speech.

We all shook our heads. Even me, after all, I already remembered it all from the dream. Once again, I don't actually remember him saying that in my dream, I just remember that kind of…already being known. It's really weird. It's like I could remember everything he said in the speech, all the important notes, but I couldn't remember the speech itself, just that it happened.

"Good, then be on your way." He said, gesturing with his cane for us to go into the forest.

Part of me wanted to stay behind and watch them take off in their own special way, but I decided against it. It would take me long enough to climb down the cliff instead of using some fancy trick. I couldn't waste any more time standing there gawking at them. So I didn't.

Instead I immediately ran to the cliff, and carefully made my way down. I wasn't exactly a rock climber or anything, but there were a bunch of outcroppings jutting out form the cliff that kind of formed steps. They were far too far apart to use them to get up, but I could let gravity do most of the work for me as I jumped from ledge to ledge to get down.

That being said, it was still a pretty far jump down each time, and a couple times I felt like it should have been _too_ far. But it wasn't. Instead, I would make the jump easily, and instead of breaking my leg, like I felt I should have, I barely felt a thing.

It was…weird.

_I have a feeling this is connected to that thing with the glowing shenanigans._ I thought as I made another landing that should have shattered my legs, but instead like a 5 foot drop.

Above me I heard a cacophony of loud _BANG!_ 's as the rest of the initiates took off into the forest with their own methods. I looked up to see them all fly by an incredible speeds.

_Is that what I could do if I was a real huntsman?_ I thought in awe.

Then I stomped that train of thought out. That was why I was here, to get stronger. To be a hero. To prevent anyone from getting hurt because I was weak, when I could have done something about it. So nothing like that day _EVER_ happens again.

_For Alice_ I thought with forlorn determination.

And with that, I descended into the forest.

* * *

**Pyrrha pov**

**8:31 am**

_This almost exactly like the dream_ I thought

It was…weird…honestly, to be going through this again. I could only hope that reality didn't go as badly as the dream did. Still though, this part never happened. I simply started in the forest, already knowing what to do.

_Strange_

"When you land in the forest, the first person you meet will be your partner for the duration of your time in Beacon." Ozpin continued with his speech

Even while listening to Ozpin's speech and taking note of its similarities with the dream, I didn't lose track of my surroundings. I looked around at my fellow initiates, all waiting to enter the Emerald Forest with varying levels of apprehension.

Oddly enough, I felt almost no thrilled excitement, only anxiety. As if something had scared them all into submission, something that struck home. Surely it wasn't Ozpin's speech, they didn't seem to be paying too much attention to the man.

My only guess, is that it has something to do with the odd string of nightmares that seemed ot have occurred among the initiates.

Speaking of which, hopefully this time I will actually get a partner. That being said, I don't actually know anyone here aside from the nice boy, Jaune, and the girl, Blake.

The girl the deeper, darker, parts of my mind kept going to war over. One second she was a threat. Another, a curiosity. It was…maddening…to have my opinion flip flop like that constantly. So as a result, I decided to leave her quickly, though politely.

My instincts couldn't decide whether they wanted her dead, or as a friend.

Worse still, I hardly actually knew anything about her, just that she was… _special_ …compared to my other classmates. Why, I don't know, but something inside me does.

As for Jaune…He seemed nice. He could very well be my first friend, something I'm both excited and anxious about. It seemed like he didn't actually know anything about me, about the "Invincible Girl", which might be why didn't seem the slightest bit hesitant to be nice to me. Though, that made me wonder, if he knew the truth, would that change?

That being said, he tried to befriend me _after_ I almost killed him waking up. Part of me feels that if that wasn't enough to dissuade him from being my friend, my notoriety shouldn't.

A tactical part of me is worried about how strong he is, about him being a potential liability. That's when the more cynical and logical part of my brain reminds me that considering the gulf in skill levels, pretty much everyone I meet will be a liability.

Everyone except Blake.

And that's why she was so interesting, and the only threat.

I only wish I knew _why_.

However, I can't actually say that I've met the entire incoming student body. There could very well be someone else interesting like Blake, I just simply haven't met them.

I broke off this train of thought when I realized that I could hear that odd buzzing sound from my dream again. The faint sound of a speaker being turned on, but not playing anything.

Taking note of it as a curiosity and not much more, I pushed it to the back of my mind. I could think about it later, right now I had more important things to worry about.

"…and be graded appropriately. Any questions?" He finished.

After a second of silence he nodded his head and said, "Good, now take your positions."

And with that, one by one, initiates were launched from the springboard-launch pads like a bullet out of a gun. I managed to spot Jaune before he was launched.

At first I was worried about the wellbeing of someone who could potentially be my first friend, but then I saw the look of determination on his face. He wasn't overly scared or anxious, sure, it was there, but it didn't rule him.

When I saw that, I knew he would be okay, so instead I simply awaited the inevitable moment when my own platform launched me into the forest.

* * *

**Ruby pov**

**8:33 am**

_Well, I think it worked_ I thought.

I could tell the blowback was getting to me once more. I had really overworked myself these past couple days, and I needed time to recover. But, more importantly, I needed this Initiation to go well. This is going to be the setup for my next four years here.

That's assuming, of course, that I actually stay here for the next four years.

Before I could think about that too much, however, my pounding headache once more rocked my skull, even worse than before. I felt dizzy and lightheaded.

I felt something dripping from my nose. I raised a hand to it and idly noticed that it was blood.

_Blood. That's probably not good_. I thought lazily as my thoughts turned sluggish.

I heard Ozpin say, "Good, now take your positions.", though his voice sounded far away.

_Right, we're getting launched into the forest_ I remembered calmly.

Then I grew a small frown as I realized, _Wait, that might actually be bad right now_

Before I could think about it for a moment longer, my own platform activated. It sent me flying into the air at incredible speeds. The incredible forces acting on my body took their toll, and I felt myself begin to fade from t consciousness.

I held on with all I had. While I felt I could survive impact even if unconscious, I'd rather not land with broken bones. Even as uncoordinated as I was right now, I was capable of at least breaking my fall.

Then something collided with me, hitting me so hard I was thrown the rest of the way into blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

**Pyrrha pov**

**8:35 am**

I landed in a tree, just as before, and decided take something away from my dream.

In the dream, I had very little idea where the temple was. I hadn't seen it from the air after being launched, but perhaps if I had a little more control over my observations…

So, with that thought I drew Milo, and put it into rifle form. I made use of the scope to look around the area, to try and see any sign of the temple. A secondary objective was to see if I could see Jaune. If I could find him early on and make him my partner, I could ensure his position as my first friend.

A voice in the back of my mind said that this probably isn't how most people made friends. I didn't care. Making friends was the one thing I had always failed at, and I refused to give up now that I was so close to success. I would do whatever it takes.

So, I looked around through the scope, trying to see anything of value. I mostly just saw Grimm, other initiates, and some interesting landmarks. While these _would_ be somewhat helpful in getting my baring's and getting around, they weren't what I was looking for. Then I saw her.

Blake.

She had that look in her eye, that look that made my darkest part of my mind cry _danger_. That look of a predator, a hunter. When she glanced in my direction with those amber eyes, I had _struggle_ to hold myself back.

My instincts screamed _Shoot Her!_

Her finger twitched on the trigger.

_She's helpless, just a couple shots and I can eliminate the potential threat. I can ensure my survival with just a few well-placed bullets._

I began to apply pressure to the trigger.

_NO!_ I refused, pulling my finger far from the trigger.

I pulled my rifle from her just before I saw her land. I couldn't do that. I _Wouldn't_ do that. I don't know what was wrong with me, but I _refused_ to allow it to control me. I wouldn't let myself be ruled by some…weird and inexplicable fear of a girl I barely knew.

She had been nothing but kind to me, and I was about to shoot her for it.

I don't know why my instincts were screaming at me to kill her, but I wouldn't let them rule me.

I let out a breath, and with it, my stress, my fear, my…irrationalities. Calming down, I once again raised my rifle to my cheek, and looked through the scope. If only I'd just put it down.

I saw that girl again. The girl covered in scarlet, and bathed in blood.

Instead of the look of cold fury on her face and dark crimson eyes she had before, this time she had a smile on her face and joyful golden eyes. One that showed off her sharp, bloodied teeth. The smile was a manic one, filled with bloodlust and joy. To see such a look on a 12 year old disturbed almost every part of me.

But that dark thing inside me? That thing that dwelled inside the darkest recess of my mind? It _remembered_.

The scarlet demon was flying through the air like the other initiates. Unlike the other initiates, however, she was flying towards _me_. Blake had been seen as a potential threat, a potential danger, but this girl? She as an _actual_ threat. She knew where I was, and she was headed right for me, hunting me down.

Before my instincts screamed, but now? Now they uttered no sound, not because they didn't act, but because they didn't ask. They simply _did_.

Still stunned by the appearance of the scarlet demon in front of me, the thing that could only be described as a hallucination born from my nightmare, I was helpless. The rest of me wasn't.

My instincts knew what to do. They knew a threat was incoming, and coming in fast. I needed time and space, things I didn't have. I could have shot at her, but her aura would simply absorb it. My subconscious knew that I needed _mass_ , I needed something that would throw her off course, knock her away from me, and I had the perfect thing to do it.

My eyes locked onto her as everything grew sharper and clearer, and everything in my body focused on one, singular, task. It worked together like a well-oiled machine to perform this action with incredible speed and precision.

I pulled the rifle away from my shoulder, my eyes never leaving my target despite not having a scope to aide them. I pressed a button, turning milo into its javelin form. My body went into a stance it knew well as my eyes continued to track the target.

Then with a loud, resounding, thunderous, _BANG!_ , Milo was gone.

And so was the scarlet demon.

It took me a mere moment to realize what was happening, and act, but it only took an instant for my instincts and my body to betray me. By the time I could even think of doing anything, by the time I realized what I was doing, Milo was already on target, and I had lost my weapon.

All to a hallucination.

_No…_ I thought, my eyes widening in horror at the _stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_ thing I had done.

I stared my hands in horror, at these hands that had betrayed me to my irrational and unfounded fears.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_ I questioned as I felt like I was losing my mind.

I had just thrown away my weapon, deep into the forest, over a stupid _Hallucination!_

I was furious with myself. I felt like kicking and screaming, like yelling over the fact that I appeared to be slowly losing my mind.

Instead, I took a breath, and released it. I let all those emotions, those feelings, those doubts and fears, leave me. In its place, I felt a calm come over me. That's when I understood.

_I can whine about what I did, what I don't have, and what I should have done. Or I can fix it_. I thought, realizing what I had to do.

I knew the area where Milo would have landed, I can go look for it. Besides, it's not like I'm helpless without Milo. I will do what I needed to in order to retrieve my weapon, and if that meant killing Grimm with Akuou, or even my bare hands, I would do it.

And with that thought, I jumped down from my spot on the tree, landing on the ground in a crouch. I got up, and began moving toward my lost weapon.

* * *

**9:30 am**

_This…was unexpected._ I thought, my eyes widening in surprise as I stared at the sight in front of me.

I had figured that I had simply impaled a hallucination, that none of it was real, that I had simply thrown Milo into the forest.

Apparently I was wrong. It seemed that while it _was_ a hallucination, it was a hallucination of something _real_. Something unexpected. So, as a result, instead of simply seeing Milo stuck in a tree, I saw Milo sticking _someone_ to a tree. And not just anyone, a little girl.

A little, unconscious girl, in a tattered, crimson, hooded, cloak.

She was young, far too young to be an initiate here, and yet, here she was. Hanging from the tree unconscious by her cloak.

After I got over the shock of discovering that my hallucination wasn't as imagined as I thought, I realized what I had just done.

_Oh my god! I just nailed a young girl to a tree with Milo!_ I thought in horror

She probably went unconscious when, out of nowhere, a javelin came flying and threw her into a tree.

Not wasting anymore time, I climbed up to her, pulled Milo from her hood, and gently brought her down. I laid her down on the ground and kneeled down next to her. I shook her, trying to rouse her from her sleep.

That's when I noticed something…odd…about her.

She had weapons.

A scythe and a…hand cannon…to be precise. I suppose she could have come from signal or some other entry level hunter training school, but even then, she would only be a freshman there. She shouldn't have these weapons, and she shouldn't be here.

Unless…

She _is_ an initiate.

_Perhaps she only_ _looks_ _young, and is in fact 17?_ I considered.

If she was an initiate, then that meant I found my partner already. It also meant the first thing I did when I saw my partner was try to kill her.

Still though, even if she was 17, she looked like she was 12 at the oldest. And a…cute…one at that. Like child sleeping peacefully. That being said, I would try not to voice that when she finally awoke. I doubt a 17-year-old girl would appreciate being called an adorable little girl by someone who looked more their age.

So, suspecting I had met my partner, and feeling bad for being responsible for her condition, I stayed with her till she woke up. And when she did, I instantly regretted it.

She opened her hollow, silver, eyes, and all semblance of _cuteness_ flew from her form.

Instead, my subconscious once again warred. One saying _Threat_ , the other saying _Interesting_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise Motherfucker!
> 
> That's right you sick fucks! Pyrrha and Ruby are partners!
> 
> All the teams have been fucked with! anybody could be partners with anybody!
> 
> Hell, we could have Jaune and Cardin! Weiss and Nora! You don't know!
> 
> I do.
> 
> But I'm not telling!
> 
> I kind got sick of seeing stories where Ruby or some other character was significantly different, or there was some significant change made to the characters, and yet all the teams stayed the same.
> 
> The teams weren't picked, it was random chance, which, if you watched No Game No Life, you would know isn't so random.
> 
> Change one variable in the equation known as life, and you can end up with a completely different answer.
> 
> That's the butterfly effect, and you can expect more of it. That, and this all according to plan. A logic based plan, but a plan nonetheless.
> 
> Plus, Pyrrha's losing her mind
> 
> I've never seen a story were Pyrrha's crazy, other than those rare couple times she a yandere. Hell, I haven't seen too many stories where Pyrrha is significant other than being Jaune's love interest, competition for his love, or otherwise just a means to an end.
> 
> I decided to not do that.
> 
> I wanted Pyrrha to be her own woman, with her own shit, and not just that one chick who's nice, pretty, strong, and famous. I wanted her to be a bit more than "the Invincible Girl"
> 
> Not saying Jaune and Pyrrha won't be a thing.
> 
> They might be.
> 
> We'll see.
> 
> But remember, nothing was done without purpose, and everything has an origin.
> 
> But yeah, many surprises lie in the Emerald forest.


	10. Scene 10: Sapphire Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Initiation continues on as the rest of the first team is formed.

**Ruby Pov**

**9:43 am**

_And once again, fate proves to be my mortal enemy._ I think drily as I gaze into the emerald eyes above

Those emerald eyes happen to belong to Pyrrha Nikos, the "Invincible Girl" to most, and what many consider to be the golden girl of Remnant. She's beautiful, smart, kind, and strong. Most can't even begin to find fault in her, and as such see her as either beyond their level, or as a means to get glory or achievement. To most, Pyrrha Nikos is perfect.

But nobody's perfect.

Pyrrha Nikos has a secret, and her life is a lie. I don't know the whole story, but from what little I've been able to gather about her, I know her to be one of the most dangerous individuals in the school, second only to Professor Ozpin.

And now she's my partner.

Most people would probably be jealous of me. I just happened to get the girl everyone looks up to as perfect, the ultimate teammate, so on and so forth. Some would even congratulate me on my luck.

I don't share their enthusiasm.

Of all the students at this school, she might be the most difficult for me to manipulate. While I don't plan on manipulating people _too_ much, it's nice to be able to do it as a safety net, a precaution if they do something unexpected. I prefer to have a way to _ensure_ someone's trust, to make sure that they don't betray me.

Pyrrha Nikos, however, isn't as… _susceptible_ …to manipulation as the others. Not because of her kind, bleeding heart, no. It's because of the lengths she will go to in order to ensure her survival, as well as the…irregularities…surrounding her.

As a result, the only person I wanted to be partnered up with _less_ than Pyrrha, was my own sister, Yang. But that's because Yang makes me _hurt_ , not because of how dangerous she is.

_I suppose it's not all bad._ I thought _She_ _is_ _strong, and…noble…at times. The biggest problem, really, is how much of an unknown she is._

And that's the problem. I know she's dangerous, and she has a deep dark secret, but I don't know too much else about her. That's what has me so worried, I just don't know enough about her. All I do know about her has raised more questions than it's answered.

She's a mystery, an unknown.

And unknowns are…troublesome.

All these thoughts run through my mind in the time it takes her to blink. Realizing that I'm awake now she leans back, giving me space.

"I'm glad you're awake." She begins in a soft, sincere voice. "Are you okay?"

Upon giving me space I take the chance to sit up from my prone position. In the process my body screams in protest, sending pain coursing through me. _Everything_ hurts, from my feet to my head.

As a result my movements are stiff and jerky, and I give an involuntary groan in pain. In addition, I felt nauseous and dizzy. The worst pain by far, is in my brain, which still feels like it's sitting in napalm. A close second is my right arm, which I notice idly, is broken.

"No." I say shortly after the involuntary groan

Frankly, the pain isn't really that bad compared to some I've suffered. I barely register it as significant, and I could easily fight through it if I wanted to. That being said, I know enough to know that fighting through a broken arm when I don't have to is a _really_ stupid idea.

Pyrrha flinches at this, pity, concern, and…guilt, marring her face.

"How bad is it?" She asks hesitantly, but filled with genuine concern for my safety.

"Everything hurts, my head is killing me, I might have a concussion, and my right arm is broken in two places." I respond slowly.

I then proceeded to bend over to the side away from her, and expel breakfast from my stomach.

She flinches again, even more severely this time.

"Shouldn't your aura have protected you?" she asks as she attempts to help me up by offering her hand.

I take it with my still functioning left arm before I respond.

"My aura is…weird." I respond, trying to figure out the best way to explain this, as well as how much to reveal.

"Weird?" She repeats in confusion.

Once again standing up, albeit shakily, I pat some of the dust and dirt off me before checking my weapons. Finding everything in order, I put my hood back up, and look back at her.

"Most people's aura protects and heals. Mine…doesn't exactly do that." I continue

"What do you mean?" She asks, concerned curiosity filling her voice.

"Hmm…I guess you could say…due to certain…circumstances…my aura heals more than it protects." I explain slowly, trying to find the right words through the congested muddle that is my mind right now.

"How so?" She continues.

"Well, my arm may be broken in two places, but in a few hours my aura should heal it back up like nothing ever happened." I explained.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "That's really fast for aura, normally it would take a day or two."

"Yeah, but the price is that it can barely block a staple gun, let alone an actual bullet." I explained.

Pyrrah nodded her head in understanding, taking that information into account as well as what it meant. While she thought about it I decided to ask another question.

"What happened?" I ask innocently with a tilted head.

I can't remember much, only that one second I was about to be launched into the forest, and now I'm here. I _think_ I was launched into the forest, but I'm not sure why Pyrrha is here, or why she seems so guilty.

At this, she stops. Her eyes widen in horror, remembering what she did and why I'm here.

"I, uh, I may have…hit you with my javelin…and stuck you to a tree by the hood of your cloak." She said, hanging her head sheepishly as she rubs her arm.

Then she abruptly looks me in the eyes with such…regret and sorrow.

"I am _so_ so sorry, I didn't really mean to hurt you." she apologizes passionately.

_Wow, didn't even get to actually meet her before she tried to kill me._ I think drily.

_Then again, she does seem like she honestly regrets it…_

"What do you mean you didn't try to hurt me?" I ask

"Er, well, I just…I'd rather not talk about it." She says quietly, ashamed at her actions.

"I'd rather know why my new partner almost killed me." I shot back drily with a straight face, my hollow and unyielding gaze boring into her emerald eyes.

At this she flinches again, "What do you mean?" She asks hesitantly.

"If your javelin had been a few inches off, we might not be having this conversation" I answered.

Her eyes widened in horror once more as she finally realized the implications of her actions. My aura was far too weak, protection wise, to deflect her javelin. If it hit my hood, then all it would have needed was to be a few inches off in order to hit me straight in the head or neck.

"I-I" She began, stuttering in horror at her own actions, not even knowing what to say.

_It's kind of hard to believe that_ _this_ _is the girl who is such an unknown danger to me_ I thought wryly, realizing that she was taking this seriously.

The truth was, I wasn't actually that mad. While it would be nice to know why she nearly killed me, especially since I technically hadn't even met her yet, it wasn't necessary. I already knew she was incredibly remorseful about what she did. She regrets it with all her being, and that's enough for me right now. She wasn't _trying_ to kill me, and she doesn't want me hurt or dead.

I sighed in mild frustration at her

"It's okay, I'm not mad, just…annoyed. Broken arms and concussions aren't fun." I said to her, trying to get her to relax.

_Even if it_ _is_ _temporary._ I added silently

She seemed to react well to it, as she closed her eyes and let out a breath. When she opened them again, she was still filled with remorse, but it wasn't as…overpowering…as it was before.

"I _am_ sorry though, I never meant for this to happen." She apologized once more.

I nodded in acceptance of her apology.

"It would still be nice to know eventually." I added with a sharp look.

She gulped in response to my stern request, but acknowledged it with a nod.

Her mood changed a bit, going from remorseful to slightly hopeful and curious, as she held her hand out to me.

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Pyrrha Nikos, and you are?" She asked, though I could tell there was an unsaid question underneath she _wanted_ to ask, but didn't think it was appropriate.

Taking the hand, I responded in kind. "Lilith Totenrot."

"I guess this makes us partners, right?" she asked, somewhat unsure.

"Why would it not?" I asked back, tilting my head in confusion.

"Er…well… I wasn't sure that you were…um… I didn't know if you were actually a _student_ here, because you're…well…" She tried to say, feeling extremely awkward and weird asking it. I simply stared at her as she tried to ask it.

Finally, having had enough of it, I decided to intervene.

"It's because I look like I'm 12, isn't it?" I asked with a raised brow.

She hung her head and quietly said, "Yes" Ashamed of her own curiosity.

I simply nodded, but refused to actually answer.

"S-so, are you?" She asked finally, yet hesitantly.

"Why did you throw a javelin at me?" I asked back, a brow raised questioningly.

She hung her head once more, though this time in defeat as she realized that it was useless.

Deciding to move on, she once again raised her head and looked at me.

"Okay, well can you still fight?" She asked, taking stock of the situation.

I just look at her judgmentally with a raised eyebrow, swaying in place as I desperately try to keep my balance. My entire body hurts, my right arm is broken in two places, and I have brain damage.

Finally, in way of response, my stomach once again violently rebels against me. I bend over and throw up again, right next to the fist pile of partially digested food.

I look back up at her with a look that says, _"This is your fault."_

Pyrrha frowned, realizing that this had gotten a bit harder now. I suppose if I had to, I _could_ technically fight, not that it would be even remotely well.

"I guess there's not much we can do about that then. I'm just going to have to fight for the two of us. I suppose it's the least I can do for putting you in this condition in the first place." She finally sighed.

_Well, at least she's taking responsibility for her mistakes, unlike certain someone I know._ I think approvingly, nodding in assent.

"So, we'll just head north to the temple-" she began to say before I cut her off.

"No." I interrupted, disagreeing with the plan.

She stumbled in her sentence, thrown off guard by my rebuttal.

"What do you mean, no?" She asked, surprised

"We need to find someone. I'm…worried…about him." I answered awkwardly.

"Really? Who is he? Do you know where he is?" She asked, now more curious than surprised.

"I know where he landed. Jaune's further back toward the cliff we started from." I answered, gesturing behind us.

The second I said Jaune, however, she reacted.

"Wait, Jaune? Jaune Arc?" She asked, surprised, along with a measure of…hope.

I cooked my head at her, surprised by her…enthusiastic…response.

"Yes? Why?" I asked, confused.

"Er…well…I…uh…met him earlier." She began to say hesitantly, then she froze.

Suddenly an odd look flashed behind her eyes.

"Who is he to you?" She asked cautiously in an odd tone with an unusually sweet smile.

I looked at her with a head tilted in confusion. Had I been in my normal state of mind and not suffering from a mind-breaking headache and a concussion, I might have been able to figure out what was going on with the girl faster

"He's my only friend here." I responded slowly and cautiously, wondering what was going on with her.

When I said that, she widened her eyes in surprise for a second, before a look of…understanding…and empathy came upon her. She looked like she understood what I was going through.

"Oh, I see. You…don't have any other friends here either?" She asked.

I looked at her with a raised brow, confused by her actions. Still, I responded with a shake of my head.

"Most people think I'm creepy. Jaune didn't" I explained simply.

Frankly, my mind was too much of a congested, sluggish, and broken mess to even _try_ to come up with a good lie on the spot.

When I mentioned how people thought I was creepy, she flinched, silently acknowledging that she was guilty of the same.

Shaking the guilt from her face, she donned a determined look instead.

"Well then, I guess you made one more." She said confidently and cheerily, trying to raise my spirits.

I gave her a questioning look at her oddly optimistic behavior, but she just ignored it.

"So, Lilith, let's go find Jaune!" She declared confidently.

And with that she picked up her Javelin again, as well as her bronze shield, and led the way back into the forest towards the cliff.

I shook my head at her odd behavior, but nevertheless I followed closely behind.

_Maybe she won't be so bad. She's…odd, and she's still a dangerous unknown_ I began to think as I followed

But then I grew a small grin on my face as I realized something.

_But then again, that just means she's a mysterious curiosity. And I do love curiosities._

* * *

**Blake pov**

**8:38 am**

I had been flying through the air after being launched form the cliff, trying to spot the temple form the air, when it happened.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, my fine-tuned instincts _screamed_ at me to dodge. It felt like there was a sniper with his aim trained on me, just waiting for the right moment to pull the trigger. In all my years in the White Fang, my instincts hadn't failed me once. In fact, they had only gotten sharper, more refined, and more accurate.

So when they screamed at me that there was a sniper, I didn't even stop to think about the logic behind it, I simply _did_.

Wasting no time, I used Gambol's kusarigama form to impale a tree and pull me into the forest. In seconds I hit the ground and took cover behind a tree with respect to the general direction my instincts told me the sniper was.

I took a moment to recollect myself, and it was in this time that I realized one thing.

_Why would there be a sniper after me here?_ I questioned.

There were many possible answers. Perhaps the White Fang decided to take me out for being a deserter, and found out I was here. Maybe someone else discovered who I _really_ was and wanted to take me out. Maybe someone uncovered my Faunus heritage and disagreed with it.

None of them were, strictly speak, _impossible_. They were all just so unlikely or illogical so as to dismiss.

_So what could it be?_ I questioned.

For most, the logical answer would have been that they were simply imagining it. For me, however, to question my instincts like that was laughable. I'd sooner question my eyes than the instincts that had saved my life countless times.

They knew things before I ever did, they could tell when something was a trap, when there was a patrol coming, or a gun aimed at my head, before I could even _begin_ to realize it consciously.

In the end, I just shook my head and moved on. I didn't feel the sniper on me anymore, so doubted they were still looking for me. My instincts weren't screaming at me to run anymore, so I figured I was safe.

Well…

Safe enough, considering I was in a Grimm infested forest.

_Hopefully it's not a nightmare this time._ I thought wryly.

And with that thought, I remembered a lesson I learned from the dream. I needed a partner.

In the dream I was all alone, which I was somewhat used to.

While working in teams was something I did often enough in the White Fang, it wasn't exactly my specialty.

That being said, that was in completely different circumstances.

And that's really what I realized.

I had proficient combat skills, yes. But, fighting hordes of enemies was never really my specialty. Infiltration was. If I had to fight my way through a small army of guards or robots, I did something _very_ wrong.

While Grimm weren't exactly _hard_ , they were numerous. They would wear me down, and they had much better senses than humans. I couldn't hide from the Grimm, at least not as easily as I could humans, or even robots.

Not to mention, as a huntress I would rarely actually have to infiltrate anything regarding the Grimm. I might have to do it here and there, to avoid Grimm to get to someplace else or retrieve something. Usually, however, I would probably have to fight my way in _and_ out.

That wasn't my specialty.

I sighed, realizing that this wasn't going to be nearly as simple as I thought it was. That's not to say I ever really thought it was going to be simple.

I shook my head, deciding to move on from this topic.

_In any case, I need to find a partner. Hopefully one more suited to fighting large groups of enemies up front than I am_ I thought, walking into the forest.

I could sense Grimm around me. Not close enough to attack me, not yet, but they were on their way.

_They already know I'm here_ I realized.

And this was why I would have a bit more trouble with Grimm.

If they had been humans or robots, or possibly even other Faunus, they wouldn't have noticed me yet. They wouldn't have even _begun_ to suspect I was here.

But the Grimm did.

They knew the second I got _near_ the forest.

Still, that didn't mean they were omniscient. They could still be tricked, dodged, and avoided. And from what I learned last night, that was probably the best course of action.

The objective was to both find a partner, and get a relic from the temple. It wasn't to kill X number of Grimm, or show off your ability to kill Grimm in a loud and flashy way.

Retrieval was something I could do just fine.

So, my mind made up and my course set, I jumped into the trees and stealthily made my way through the forest. First, seeking a partner, second, seeking the temple.

* * *

**9:39 am**

_Well…I found somebody. Technically._ I thought as I looked at the person in a clearing in front of me.

They were…not exactly what I wanted.

Due to my time in the White Fang performing infiltration missions, I had developed not only finely tuned instincts, but good analytical skills at a distance. I learned how to discern things about a person, place, or object simply by observing it stealthily from afar. Using these skills, I observed him stealthily from the tree line.

And what I saw was…disappointing.

He had golden blond hair, and sapphire blue eyes, wore a black hoodie and jeans. Over the hoodie he wore a white set of armor. He was one of the only initiates I've seen actually wearing armor, and unlike everyone else, he didn't have a flashy weapon. In fact, his weapons seemed to be the height of simplicity. A simple sword, and a shield.

Sure, they weren't exactly the tools of an assassin, but compared to everyone else's weapons, which all seemed to be calibrated for maximum shock and awe, they were relatively stealthy. They didn't even have a gun in them, nothing about them was loud. They may have been rather shiny and white, but that's what matte spray paint was for.

In fact, the biggest problem was the boy himself.

Frankly, he was absolute shit. He had little to no skill or experience from what I could see.

_Did he actually graduate from a combat school?_ I questioned as I saw him get knocked back by a mere Beowolf.

He got back up, and went right back into a meager imitation of a shield and sword stance. That being said, it worked well enough for him to deflect the next strike of the wolf well enough to counter attack.

Said attack was an uppercut with the glowing sword strong enough to cut the wolf in half.

_Well, I suppose he has potential_ I thought, noting his surprising strength.

And with that, I took another look at those sapphire eyes, and I was surprised by what I saw.

There was doubt. A lot of doubt, but that wasn't surprising. Combined with the fear I saw, he was probably nervous. Then there was determination. It wasn't there too strongly, like a weak and dim fire, but it was there. Again, however, that's not what surprised me.

What surprised me, was the guilt.

There was a lot of guilt in those eyes. It wasn't just crippling guilt, all by itself, though. It hadn't fully consumed him.

Instead, it seemed to be connected to his determination. As if the guilt is _why_ he was here, why he was doing this.

_like me_ I realized with wide eyes.

He was like me, fighting here to redeem himself in some way. I couldn't be sure of the how and why of it. Perhaps his motives regarding this guilt were completely different than mine.

Not many people I had seen here were like that. Most had either more selfish motives, or more…noble…ones. Some wanted to uphold family tradition and honor by becoming a strong and renowned huntsman. Others wanted to become a rich and famous huntsman. And some just wanted to do what they could to help the human race, to be the best they could be.

Few were like us. Few were driven by some event, or tragedy. Something they wanted to repent for, something driving them to be better than they were.

Something driving them to be better than they ever could be.

Even still, I wasn't sure if I wanted him to be my partner. Sure, we had similarities, but I wasn't here to just make friends. We hadn't technically met eyes, so we weren't' technically partners yet. He didn't even know I was here, watching him.

_I suppose I could teach him how to fight. Considering how raw he is, I could mold him into becoming my perfect partner._ I thought, considering the benefits.

_But…do I really want to put that much effort into my partner? It'll be a while before I'll actually be able to reap the rewards._

Then I remembered.

He was the boy that tried to help Pyrrha. Sure, it blew up in his face a little bit, but apparently he had endeared himself to the girl.

_What was his name? Was it…Jack? John?_ I thought, trying to remember his name.

_Wait, no, it was Jaune_ I realized.

Then I sighed. I didn't really want leave him now that I knew his name. What if he got hurt? He wasn't very good, and if he wasn't careful he could die out here.

Then again, he'd be a terrible partner. Sure, he has potential, and I could mold him into something useful eventually, but as it is right now, he's more of a liability than anything else.

_Right now all it seems Jaune can really do is be extremely distracting with his death._

And with that thought, I made up my mind. I was sure that Jaune would find someone nice to be his partner, someone who could deal with his...deficiencies. It just wouldn't be me.

However, just as I turned to leave, to try to find someone else more…skilled…I saw something out of the corner of my eye.

It was an Ursa, and Jaune didn't see it coming.

He was too busy fighting off a pair of Beowolves to even notice the Ursa. It was coming up behind him, and in just a few seconds he would be overwhelmed.

I sighed again, realizing that I had no choice anymore.

I may have wanted the perfect partner, I may be a coward at times, and he may be a liability in the field, but...

_But I can't let this boy die. Not when I could have done something about it_ I thought with a sigh.

And with that thought I leapt from my position in the tree, wielding Gambol in its sharpened sheath for more mass.

Just as the Ursa got in swiping distance and prepared to crush the ignorant boy, I collided with it. The large blade was driven deep into the thick hide of the bear-like Grimm, propelled by the force of my entire body accelerated by gravity. It pierced its spine, severely damaging it.

It roared in agony, nearly dead, but not quite.

The roar grabbed the attention of the boy, who foolishly looked away from the two Beowolves he was fighting.

Cursing under my breath at his stupidity, I twisted Gambol, and with a loud _SNAP!_ I severed the Ursa's spine, killing it instantly.

In a flash I drew Gambol from the sheath imbedded deep in the Ursa, aimed the pistol, and sent four .45 FMJ Dust rounds into each of their skulls, the bullets tearing through their masks and ripping chunks out of their skulls. Soon each had a shredded, bloody, boney, stump where their heads used to be.

All three Grimm dropped to the ground, dead, within moments of each other.

Jaune just looked up at me with those sapphire eyes in awe and surprise. "Whoa"

I considered chastising him for being a fool, but quickly discarded it. It wouldn't exactly be conducive towards our relationship as partners if I made him feel like garbage the second I met him. I'd rather start it out on a good note.

I'll have a hard enough time teaching him how to not be a liability, I didn't need him to hate me on top of it.

So, with that thought, I pulled Gambol's sharpened sheath from the dead Ursa with a wet _POP_ and jumped down. I swiped the blade through the air, flinging off the blood, before I fully sheathed Gambol Shroud on my back.

He walked up to me, slightly nervous, with a hand extended.

"Uh, Hi. I'm Jaune Arc, and you?" He asked.

I took it and responded calmly, "Blake Belladonna."

After a short shake, he looked away from me sheepishly and said, "Uh, thanks for helping me back there."

I raised a brow in mild surprise, expecting him to try and play off being confident or something. I half expected him to say "It's not like I needed your help or anything" or "I had that you know."

Then it morphed into a small smile.

_Well, he may be shit, but at least he's appreciative. He could have been an asshole._

"You're welcome. I couldn't just stand there while I watched you get mauled." I teased lightly.

Instead of violently protesting, he instead just seemed to deflate even further, hanging his head down low in defeat.

As much as I wanted to feel sorry for him, I couldn't help but chuckle at his expressiveness.

At the sound of my suppressed laughter he brought his head up. Realizing I was teasing him, he pouted slightly.

"Why do I always do this when I meet a girl?" He pouted.

In response I just chuckled again.

_He may be a miserable, mostly useless, pile of untapped potential, but at least he's funny. Even if it is at his own expense_. I thought.

He sighed, resigning himself to his fate, before bouncing back.

"Well then, Blake, we should probably head north, right?" He asked, giving me a bright, if unsure, smile while pointing in a direction with his sword.

"Yes." I began, grasping the end of his sword and pulling it away from southeast, and directed it toward north. "We should." I continued with another teasing smile.

"He he, yeah. I-I knew that." He said with a nervous smile, lying through his teeth.

As we began to walk onwards, I decided to ask him something that occurred to me watching him fight.

"Jaune?"

"Yes?" He responded, turning to me.

"You _do_ know how to use that, right?" I asked, gesturing to his sword.

"What? Sure! It's a sword! Just…swish swish stab, right?" He exclaimed boisterously, but his sapphire eyes told me it was all a lie.

I looked at him judgmentally with a raised brow, silently saying, _"_ _What? No!That's not…no_. _"_

_God, nevermind, I take it back. He doesn't even know how to use a god damn sword._ I thought, suddenly starting to regret my actions.

He chuckled nervously, realizing that he had been caught.

Then we heard it.

"Jaune!" someone cried out in the distance. It was faint, but it was definitely there.

Since Jaune reacted to it as well I knew that whoever it was they had to be relatively close.

I looked at him with a surprised and questioning face, "Do you know anyone here?"

He thought about it for a second, saying "Not really, just you, Lilith, and…"

Then his eyes lit up in understanding. He turned towards the sound and screamed "PYRRHA!" into the depths of the forest.

_Right, I almost forgot about her_. I thought, remembering the kind girl I helped in the bathroom, the one who gave me his name.

It bounced around for a bit in the Emerald Forest, but no response came.

After couple seconds he turned to me and asked, "Should I do it again or-?"

He was abruptly cut off, however, by a large Ursa flying out of the tall bushes in front of us before slamming into a tree to our side with a loud, wet, _CRACK!_

We instantly turned toward it, ready to fight it off, when we noticed something about it.

It had a large hole, bleeding hole in its chest where its heart should be. It also had a large dent in its white armored head. And it was extremely dead.

Turning back to the bushes from whence it came, we saw the sight of Pyrrha Niko burst forth with a hopeful smile on her face. That, and wielding a xiphos covered in blood that went up to her elbow.

"Jaune!" She cried out in joy.

"Pyrrha! What are you doing looking for me?" He exclaimed, happily surprised, yet confused.

"I, er, well…" She began, trailing off sheepishly, not wanting to say it.

I was about to say something, when my instincts spoke once more. They yelled again, telling me _something_ was coming, something it didn't even know how to categorize.

No sooner did they speak than did a little girl with silver eyes in a tattered red hooded cloak come out of the bushes behind Pyrrha.

Relying on my instinct, I drew Gambol once more, and aimed the sidearm at her head. She looked like a little girl, an innocent little girl. One look in her hollow silver eyes, however, told me otherwise.

Just looking into those silver eyes had my instincts _screaming_ that this was some…dark, unnatural, impossible, thing. It wasn't normal, it wasn't human, it wasn't Faunus, it was a _monster_. Not like the Grimm, no, this was an abomination to the very rules of reality.

She lazily looked up at me in response to the gun aimed at her, but did nothing else. She looked at me with those hollow eyes, not like I was a person, an animal, or even alive.

She looked at me like I was a _thing_ , an annoyance. Like I wasn't Blake the person, but the human shaped object designated Blake.

Before I could do anything else, however, the other two intervened.

"Whoa! Blake! What are you doing?' Jaune questioned, concerned and confused.

Pyrrha responded to my actions by jumping in front of the girl, her shield raised to block my gun.

I blinked, taking hold of myself, reigning myself in. I lowered my gun, took a breath, and calmed down.

"I'm sorry, she just…startled me." I answered.

As much as I trusted my instincts, they had gotten me in trouble before. They often operated on a "shoot first, ask later" mentality. While that might work in a dangerous combat scenario, I would need to keep a tight leash on it here at school.

_Still though, why would she provoke that kind of response? Even if my instincts can be rash, they're never completely wrong._ I wondered.

Then I looked back up at Pyrrha and was startled by what I saw. It was only there for a flash, but it was there.

Her once kind, soft, concerned, emerald eyes were gone. In their place were two cold, wrathful, balls of emerald so dark it was almost black. They glared at me with such focused intent that I had to struggle to keep from flinching.

Most people, when enraged, burned with a wild fire. They became furious, uncontrolled, and destructive. They would attack or hurt everything around them blindly in their rage. They would become uncontrolled, and vulnerable to attack by leaving their defenses open. Usually when someone became enraged, or lost themselves to fury, they would lose all their focus and control.

Pyrrha's eyes, however, were _all_ about focus and control.

It was only there for a moment, just a second, a flash.

But for one second, I could see that she was prepared to _kill_ me without a second thought.

My instincts reacted, and just like that the moment became tense once more. We just stared at each other, two killers in a standoff.

Then, an explosion roared in the distance with a resounding _BTHOOM!_

A shockwave passed through the forest, shaking everything from the tremendous force.

Instantly, we all looked towards the direction of the sound in surprise.

_That sound…_ I thought in horror, remembering my nightmare.

It wasn't exactly the same. That one sounded more like thunder playing through an old radio.

This sounded real.

On a gut feeling, I looked up to the sky, and sure enough, dark storm clouds covered the sky, hiding the sun.

I could feel a shiver pass through the group, as if the mood suddenly changed.

We all looked back down at each other, and like that Pyrrha was back to normal. She was that same kind and nervous girl I saw in the bathroom this morning.

I considered bring it up, but decided to dismiss it for later.

Jaune, however, realized something.

"Lilith! What are you doing here?" He asked, bewildered and a little concerned about the little girl.

In response she just looked at him with a tilted head, like he was the oddity here.

"Because this is where Initiation is." She responded slowly and questioningly.

"Wait, what?" He responded, surprised.

"You're an initiate?" I asked, surprised they would let in someone so young.

She let out an annoyed breath, obviously realizing that this was going to become a thing.

"Yes." She affirmed tiredly.

At that, Jaune jolted up, as if remembering something of his own.

"Hey guys, if you see a big…white…thing…could you let me know?" He asked, suddenly very nervous and worried.

Pyrrha and I both just gave him a questioning look, wondering what he was on about.

He chuckled nervously, realizing how he sounded.

"You know what? Just…nevermind, okay? We should probably head to the temple." He said, gesturing north with a nervous smile.

Pyrrha and I glanced toward each other before nodding in agreement.

"Sounds like a plan." Pyrrha agreed.

"Lead on." I consented.

Lilith, on the other hand, just silently nodded at him.

And so, with that, off we went into the Emerald Forest in search of the temple.

But I couldn't help this sense of dread I felt. It was like the nightmare was happening all over again. I just prayed it didn't end the same way.

But I still felt like someone was going to die.

* * *

**? pov**

I walked down the marble floored hall of my house next to my friend. The light of the sun shone through the tall windows that lined the hall, lighting it up.

As we made our way to the armory, he spoke to me.

"So, why is it you have such an attachment to this slave of yours?" He asked me

"I mean, sure, some people might care for their slaves, but to send her to school?" He continued.

I sighed, realizing that many of my friends just didn't get it.

_Maybe I need better friends?_ I considered.

"You know how I feel about the whole slave issue." I responded tiredly.

"Yes, but it's more than just that. You didn't just pick her up off the trading block, you got her from her old mistress. You managed to arrange a bet for her life, but why? It might have made sense if you used her like Lady Agathe did, but instead you sent her to school." He explained, exasperated.

" _School!_ " He repeated.

"You weren't there, you didn't see her in that pit, covered in blood, surrounded by corpses. She had a look _no_ child should ever have on their face." I explained.

"So…you pity her?" He questioned.

I sighed again.

"It's more than that. She was deprived of even the most _basic_ of childhoods. She wasn't a person, she was an object of entertainment for this city, and nobody batted an eye at it." I explained.

"Actually, no, it was worse. They _endorsed_ it. They made her like that, sacrificing the life of a child for their own amusement." I continued before turning to him.

"How could I sit there and _not_ do anything? How could I walk away from that broken girl and still call myself human?" I asked him, looking him straight in the eye.

Ashamed, he couldn't meet my gaze. He couldn't really answer me, he knew I was right.

I sighed again, realizing I had let myself get all riled up about this.

"I just…I just want Kokkinos to get a chance to _live_ , to have a childhood, to have _fun_. I just want her to have a chance to be a nice, normal, girl. Not that object she was in the pit." I explained.

We walked a couple more seconds before he responded

"You see her like a daughter, don't you?" He asked.

I sighed again, realizing the truth of the matter.

"Yeah, I guess I do." I answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mystery girl tales returns!
> 
> And Team 1 has been formed!
> 
> Yea
> 
> In any case, next chapter we see the formation of team 2. And team ANBL is a thing now.
> 
> Also known as team NASB( Not A Social Butterfly.)
> 
> Yeah, I realized everyone in the team is socially awkward in some way.
> 
> In any case, The Emerald Forest arc will be done by scene 16.
> 
> That's all I have to say.
> 
> Tell me how you think I'm doing so far, and bye.


	11. Scene 11: Golden Torments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Team ANBL formed, we next turn to the formation of team WYVR, and a closer look at the mind of Yang Xiao Long

**Yang pov**

**8:43 am**

_I'm not in the mood for this._ I thought angrily, staring down an Ursa in front of me.

I had just landed a few moments ago after being launched from the cliffs of Beacon into the Emerald forest for the Initiation.

The Ursa roared and charged at me, running at me with the full force of 1000 lbs of muscle and bone. When it got in range it tried to swipe at me with its large claw.

Most people would have felt a degree of fear seeing an Ursa charge at them. They would have felt the need to dodge, to avoid the large Grimm.

Instead I simply raised my left forearm to block the hit. I felt no fear, only _hate_.

Nearly 4000 N of focused force collided with me, enough to tear a man in half, to grind his bones to dust, to completely obliterate him.

I just bent my knees and grunted.

Then I grit my teeth, pulled my arm back, and retaliated.

All the Grimm had time to do was briefly realize that its almighty swipe had almost no effect on me. That I wasn't sent flying, killed, or even hurt by it. It could only briefly wonder _why?_ Before its existence ended.

I threw my right fist filled with my fire and fury at its head.

Boosted by the power of my aura and my gauntlets, it hit more than twice as hard. Well over 9,000 N of force focused into an area the size of a fist flew straight at its brain in an instant. My fist smashed through its white, bony, mask like it wasn't even there. It passed through muscle and blood veins before it hit the skull.

My armored fist shattered its skull before ending its journey in the beast's brain. The sheer force of my punch traveling through its mostly water-based body sent a shockwave through it. The shockwave obliterated the brain, agitated the blood, and caused its skull to shake itself apart, causing it all to detonate in an explosion of blood, bone fragments, and gore from the destructive pressure in a loud, wet, crunchy, _POP_.

All from one punch.

The shower of gore covered my in the crimson blood of the dead Grimm, but I didn't care right now. I just wanted this to be over. I just wanted to end this.

I wanted to end _them_.

I heard another growl behind me and turned. I took count of at least six large Ursai in the forest with me. All looking to feast on my bones.

I glared back at them as my aura flared. That nightmare I had last night left me in a bad mood.

When I got to Beacon, I was happy. I had left everything that had happened in Patch behind me. It may have just been for a moment, but I forgot all the craziness, the insanity, of my life beforehand. I trusted Qrow and dad to take care of everything, and I left it behind me.

It felt like it was just a moment in time, but in that moment I was blissful in my ignorance. I felt better than I had in years. _She_ wasn't there to remind me about my mistakes anymore. I didn't have to come home to see my "family" anymore, to see them as they reminded me of the price of my failures.

Of my mistake.

I was finally free. Free to live my own life, to be what I wanted. Without those constant reminders there, I quickly left the depression, guilt, and trauma of my old life behind me as I focused on my future.

But then I had my nightmare, and I saw her face again, and I felt that same failure.

Again.

Even now, I can hear her saying, _"Yang, why did you abandon me?"_

I grit my teeth, close my eyes, and try to hold it in. To reign in control of myself

_It was just a dream, it's not real_ I tell myself.

I try to push it out, to focus on the here and now. To focus on my most hated enemy.

" _Why did you let me go?"_

I push out the guilt, and replace it with rage. The guilt feels like water, suffocating and drowning me. It sucks the life out of me, slowly withering me into nothing. The hatred and rage feels like a burning fire. It hurts, and it kills me, but it also fuels me. It burns away the guilt, giving me energy and strength were I had none.

I will take this hatred over my own guilt any day. I will take the burning fire to the drowning water.

So I let the hatred and anger build, because as much as I know it destroys me, I can't handle the alternative.

" _Yang…why did you do this to me?"_

And as I gaze into the angry red eyes of the Grimm in front of me, Grimm that feed off my anger, I can let it burst out of me.

"SHUT UP!" I roar, letting my aura blaze through my body, giving it energy it needs to satisfy my desires.

My eyes run red, my hair is on fire, and my mind is an inferno. And in that one moment, I feel the blissful moment where the girl known as Yang can fall away with all her faults, guilt, and pain. In her place rises pure, untainted, powerful rage.

And with that, I charge forth, forgetting everything about myself as I let my hate fill me and guide my fists. I become an avatar of destruction and rage. I tear my way through the Grimm, each blow hitting with god-like force. I don't even bother trying to evade there blows.

Why would I? The pain feels too good to let it go. I know I deserve every hit, every strike. I know deep down that I deserve this pain, and it feels good to receive it.

It only fuels my fire.

One Ursa strikes me in the head hard enough to cut off some of my golden mane. Normally, seeing my immaculate hair harmed would have thrown me into a bloody rage. But the rage I feel over my hair pales in comparison to the inferno of hate I have become.

I don't just feel hatred, right now I _am_ hatred.

And as hatred, I retaliate with the due force.

I send a jab flying into its gut. It punctures its thick underbelly, digging deep into its abdomen. With my fist embedded elbow deep in the Grimm, I trigger my gauntlets.

The explosive slug detonates deep inside the Grimm, pulping it, but it's not enough for me. My aura protects me from its explosive force, leaving me unharmed, allowing me to continue. So I do.

I quickly fire round after round of explosive dust ammunition into the belly of the dark beast, each one detonating with a muffled _Bang_. Finally, after 4 shots, it ruptures with a loud, meaty, _BOOM_. The entire chest of the large Grimm explodes in gore, sending my fist flying back and the tearing the ruined corpse in half.

Using the recoil of the blast, I spin on my foot. Turning my backwards momentum into forward rotation, I throw a powerful left hook at the Ursa raising up behind me. It had planned on striking me down while I had my fist stuck in other Grimm. I had other plans.

Right when my left fist connected with the other Ursa's chest, right when I felt its thick hide give in and open up, right when I felt the wetness of its crimson blood on my fist, I fired. I fired the 8 gauge high explosive Dust round right into the opening I made in its chest, blowing it wide open with a wet, crunchy, _BANG_ and sending it flying back in another explosion of gore.

By the time its corpse hit the ground, I had already changed targets, focusing instead on another Ursa.

In front of me stood the last Ursa, an old one. It was big, bigger than all the others I had slain, and had white spikes coming out of its back. Had I been in my right mind, I might have tried to come up with a plan of attack, how to fight it as intelligently as possible.

Instead, only one thing was going through my mind right now.

_Hate_

Before I could make my move, it came at me with a powerful strike, hitting me in the right shoulder with its massive claws and pushing me back a few feet. My aura absorbed the blow with ease, and I empowered by the pain. The pain fed me, and made me what I was. Each hit cleansed me, helped me forget about the past, and focus on the now.

And now I needed to retaliate.

So, I returned the blow with one my own. I stepped back up to the Ursa, twisting my body as I sent a left jab right at its left arm. The instant after my fist connected with its arm I triggered my Ember Celica with a loud _BANG_. The detonation of my explosive rounds combined with the thunderous force of my fist blew its arm off in another small explosion of gore.

Before it had time to ponder its new, three legged existence, I followed up my initial jab with a powerful cross. I stepped in, throwing my whole body into my aura filled right fist. I threw it as I twisted my body, adding even more force to the blow.

My cross slammed into the right leg of the Ursa, which, unlike the other one, was firmly planted on the ground.

It didn't matter.

My thunderous, explosive, cross slammed into the old Ursa's right leg. The detonation of my Ember Celica was punctuated by another loud _BANG_ as I blew off another leg in an explosion of blood, muscle, and bone.

No longer having any support up front, the Ursa began to fall forward. Before it could, however, I decided to deliver my final blow in the form of a fiery, explosive, uppercut.

I recovered from my cross, and threw my arm up into its face with all the fury I could. My right fist kissed the Ursa right in the bottom of its chin, tapping against the armored mask of the Grimm, and didn't stop.

It drove through, propelled by my force of _hate_ and rage. Instead of penetrating like my last blow, this one pushed. It pushed, and pushed, and pushed, stopping for nothing. Muscle and bone gave way to my whims as its head was twisted and pushed away from its neck.

For one final push, I triggered my Ember Celica once more, causing another high explosive dust round to slam into its head with a thunderous _BOOM_. With that one, final, explosive, push, the Ursa's head was blown of its body, leaving a bloody stump of its spinal column sticking out of its neck.

Now that I was done, I felt…cleaner.

Ironically, when I was done, I was covered from head to toe in gallons of Grimm blood. Sure, it would evaporate off soon enough, like all dead Grimm did, but right now I was a fearsome image of blood and fury.

Still though, this was what I needed. I just needed to let all my anger, my rage, my _hate_ out. I was feeling better already. I couldn't even remember what I was mad about.

" _Yang"_

Then I did.

* * *

**Weiss pov**

**8:57 am**

_This is actually going better than I thought_

In the dream, the Grimm had come at me in endless waves, eventually they didn't even give me time to catch my breath.

Now, however, a couple would come at me every so often. There wouldn't be too many to handle or anything, just a handful of Beowolves, maybe an Ursa. That being said, after my dream, I took them all seriously.

After all, it was the weakest of Grimm, a simple Beowolf, that killed me in the end.

_It did more than kill me. It took me apart and played with me._ I thought darkly with a shiver as I recalled the events of that nightmare.

Shaking my head, I took myself out of those thoughts. I wasn't in a fight right now, but I still needed to stay alert.

_BOOM!_

I turned my head towards the sound. It was the sound of a far off explosion, though not too far off. After a quick bit of mental math, I figured I could get there in a reasonable amount of time. More importantly. That explosion was the sign of another initiate, another student.

I needed a partner, and this was my best chance of finding someone. As much as I had pride in my own abilities, that nightmare reminded me of the price of arrogance. I could not afford to be picky, not when my very survival was on the line.

Even if it just so happened that this person already had a partner, I still needed to join up with them. Strength in numbers after all.

So, with that in mind, I made my way over to the sound of the explosion. As I did, I heard many more explosions sounding off from the same place. I could only assume that whoever it was, they fought with some form of explosive weapon. Considering my own abilities, that could be quite useful.

I myself don't have too much killing power on my own. As much as it pains me to admit, my abilities revolve less around being powerful myself, and more changing the field of play, or introducing exotic elements.

While I might not be able to kill something big and powerful, like a Deathstalker, by myself, I can freeze it into the ground with Myrtenaster, allowing an opening for someone else. In addition, I lack the ability to effectively kill large amounts of enemies in short time.

Well, powerful enemies. I _could_ freeze a bunch of weak Beowolves, but they probably wouldn't actually be dead so much as frozen.

In any case, I lacked killing power against both large groups of weak enemies, and one powerful enemy. If I had someone who could do both or either, our abilities combined could be used to devastating effect in the battlefield.

This person, however, sounded like this was _exactly_ what they excelled in. They sounded like a brutal powerhouse, which is exactly what I needed. Someone I could truly benefit from.

_With my brains and their brawn, we would rule with absolute power!_ I raved silently

And with that thought, I stepped in the smoldering clearing. Standing in the middle, surrounded by craters, bloodied remains, and fighting off a pair of Ursai, was a girl.

A girl with a large, explosive, silver hammer.

_This'll do nicely_

* * *

**Ren pov**

**9:27 am**

_Well…shit_

I had just finished off the black head of the King Taijitu by using an aura enhanced palm thrust to blow its head up using its own fang. That's about the time that the white head showed it face again, bringing friends with it.

This was kind of starting to remind me of the nightmare.

Let's hope it simply stopped at "reminding" and stayed far the hell away from "fulfilling".

With some kind of silent signal, the Grimm began to attack, much to my chagrin.

First, a Beowolf ran straight at me, trying to swipe at me with its right claw. I dodged by sidestepping the swing, spinning around the claw, and stepping inside its guard. With a quick flash of movement, I swung my Stormflower in my right hand at it while I spun around again.

The emerald blade cut deep into the neck of the Beowolf, slicing through it thick blood veins, jugular, and throat. When I was done I jumped away before the waterfall of blood and gore spilling from its open neck could fall on me. It soon fell to the ground, dead.

Not taking any time to enjoy my kill, I moved onto the next one.

This one rushed at me with more speed, intent on tackling me as much as it was slicing me to pieces. I ducked under the swing and used one of my Stormflowers to slice open its leg. I didn't cut deep enough to cut its leg off, I wasn't even sure I could do that, but it was more than deep enough to cut through the muscles and tendons in its leg.

As it flew past me, blood poured from the wound. When it came to a stop, its leg was too injured for it to do more than fall to a knee and howl in pain. A howl I quickly put a stop to with a quick burst from my Stormflowers.

Six 9mm Dust rounds flew into its unarmored neck and tore it apart, causing a tiny little explosion of meat and blood with each impact, and leaving nothing more than a gore covered spinal column to connect its head to its body.

A third one came at me, trying to swipe at me with a slower, wider, right clawed hook. I couldn't step inside the guard, nor was it moving fast enough to simply let it fly past. So I jumped.

Flipping over the Beowolf's swipe, I turned around in midair. I landed on the back of a fourth Beowolf that had been charging my position. From my new position I filled the third one with Dust rounds from my Stormflowers, stitching a line of bullets from the middle of its back up to its neck.

Sensing another threat incoming, I dropped to the ground in an instant, allowing another Beowolf claw to sail over me, one that had the clear intent of decapitating me. Instead, the claw dug deep into the Beowolf I had been standing on, number 4, tearing out the back of its fellow Grimm's neck, along with its spinal column.

Not leaving number 5 any time to ponder its traitorous actions, I looked up and fire my Stormflowers into the unarmored bottom of its skull. The 9mm Dust rounds tore apart the Grimm's jaw before moving onto its brain. It died after having its skull quickly and messily torn apart by round after round of ammunition.

Rolling out and to the side, I allowed the now headless Grimm to fall to the ground beside me. I looked at the five bodies around me, taking a breath to regain my wind. Before I opened them again, my instincts once again screamed _Danger!_

So, answering it warning, I flipped into the air, just barely dodging the large white head of the King Taijitu as it passed underneath me. I landed on the ground next to the bottom of the large snake in a crouch. I looked up at it to see it staring at me hungrily. I considered fighting it off here, but then I heard the sound of more Beowolves.

I suppose I could have fought them all off here, but I needed to reload. In addition, I would like to find a partner soon, and not get bogged down trying to kill every Grimm I came across.

So, with that, I turned and ran. When I ran, I focused on a form of battle meditation, trying to expel all the hostile emotions such as fear or anger from me. Since the Grimm homed in on them, if I went running through the forest in terror or rage, I would likely draw a large horde of them towards me.

_And that would be bad_ I thought to myself.

Still, purging the negative emotions from me wouldn't completely save me. The King Taijitu already saw me and had my scent, it could just track me the normal way. The same goes for any other Grimm that was close enough.

As I ran I could _feel_ the large snake crashing its way through the forest in an attempt to get me. Each time it would get too close, my instincts would let me jump, flip, slide, or even roll out of the way.

I ran fast, and I ran hard, but I knew endurance was _not_ my specialty. I knew that sooner or later I was going to have to stop running. My nightmare reminded me of that.

I looked up ahead and saw a large fallen log in the way of my path. A log far too big to simply vault over. Gritting my teeth, I dug deep for another burst of energy. Just before I reached the log, I bent my legs farther, pooling energy there. Then, with a tiny burst of aura, I jumped up.

When I got to the apex of my jump, just over the top of it, I stuck the blade of the Stormflower in my left hand into the thick wood of the dead tree. Using the blade for grip, I pulled myself over the log, vaulting over the 13ft tall log. I hit the ground in a crouch on the other side of the fallen tree, taking a brief moment to catch my breath before I would run again.

The King Taijitu had other plans, however.

_KRCKBOOSHTRK!_

It smashed through the large, rotten, tree in an explosion of force, wind, and wood chips. The force of the blast sent my flying into a clearing. Then it sent me falling into a ditch in the clearing.

Fortunately I still had my aura, unlike that time in the nightmare, and it buffered the blow for me. What should have snapped my spine or broke my legs simply felt like I fell down some stairs. That being said…

I still felt like I fell down some stairs.

I got up and looked around groggily, trying to get my bearings. It looked like this "ditch" was actually more of a large, dried up river bed. On either side of the bank was the forest, but it was completely clear along the length of it.

_Interesting…I wonder if this leads to the ruin?_ I pondered

_HHHSSS_

I was torn from my thoughts, however, when the snake that threw me here decided to join me.

It landed in the riverbed with a loud, resounding, _THUMP_ , shaking the ground a little and stirring up a cloud of dust form the impact. When the dust cleared, it became apparent that we weren't alone.

I sighed, realizing that there would be no running, I would just have to kill this thing or it would never leave me alone. I just hope I could get some help before this reality started to actually fulfill my dreams. As much as some people might like the idea of it, I didn't really want to be a prophet.

Not right now.

_Here we go again_

* * *

**Yang pov**

**9:38 am**

_No no no_ I thought, trying to get it together.

" _Yang"_

And there it was again. I could hear her voice calling out to me.

I knew it wasn't real, she couldn't _really_ be here, but I still felt compelled to answer, to follow. It was as if she was really beckoning me to her.

I tried to ignore, to fight it. It was just a hallucination, an echo from my nightmare, a memory from my past.

_It's not real, she's not really here._ I thought to myself.

I shook my head, trying to get these disruptive thoughts from my head. I was going to leave, to ignore it. It was a hallucination, what did it know? It wasn't real. I just needed to move on, find a partner for the Initiation, and get everyone out alive. That's it.

Then the hallucination spoke again.

" _Yang, Help me!"_ She cried out in panicked fear.

_Just like that night_. I thought in horror.

No matter how much I wanted to leave, to turn my back on it, I couldn't. Not now. Not when there was the slightest chance of it being real. I had let Ruby down so much in life, if I had even the _slightest_ chance to find her again, to save her, to be there when she needed me, I was going to take it.

_I don't care if it makes me crazy, I'm not leaving her_.

And with that thought, I turned around towards the source of the voice of my little sister, and ran into the forest after her.

I ran hard and I ran fast. With each step, I felt something holding me back from giving me my all. Perhaps it was what was left of my sanity, trying to remind me that I was hallucinating, that this wasn't real. Maybe it was my doubt, trying to tell me there was nothing I could do to save her, or that she was never really there to begin with.

I don't know what it was, but I could still hear her, crying out to me.

" _Yang, Please!"_ she pleaded desperately, fear filling her voice

I pushed through the doubt, and allowed my fear to guide me. I kept thinking about what would happen if I was even one second late. What would happen if I failed her again. The fear of those thoughts pushed me enough past my doubt to keep me going.

Then I heard it.

_GGGRRR_

It was at that moment that any trace of me that was skeptical of this whole thing, that thought I was just being crazy, left me. That was the sound of Grimm, hungry Grimm. Grimm that had found prey, and were swooping in for the kill. And there was only one thing Grimm ate.

Humans.

So, the moment I heard those hungry Grimm, I knew it wasn't just a hallucination. And with that thought, I pushed harder to get there. There was no doubt holding me back now, no caution. Either I would get there in time, or-

_HHHSSSS_

My eyes widened in fear at that sound.

_A King Tajitu?! That's-That's-_ I began to think, fear and horror growing in me.

A King Tajitu, while certainly not the strongest Grimm in existence, was rather large and powerful. While I was confident I could kill one, I wasn't sure I could keep Ruby safe in the process.

Then that _hate_ came back, and took hold in me once more.

_It doesn't matter_ I thought with angry conviction, narrowing my eyes. _Nothing_ _will stop me! If it's a Grimm, it dies._

So with one final push off, I left the thick woods of the forest, and entered the clearing. It was a dried up riverbed with a sizable clearing on either size of the riverbed. Inside the dry trench was a number of figures, namely Grimm.

But they were all surrounding one, much smaller, more human, figure.

They were all right in front of me, but most were irrelevant. In my angry haze, I barely even noticed most of them, the only one I saw was the large King Taijitu. It rose above the rest of the Grimm, coiling up and preparing to strike at the human.

So it received all of my hate.

The second my foot hit the ground once more, I jumped, no, lunged at the giant snake's white head. I kicked off with all the force I had, using my Ember Celica once again to accelerate me even further.

I flew forward with an incredible velocity at the white head of the snake. Somewhere deep in my mind, I might have considered where the black head was, but right now it wasn't a major concern. Killing the one in front of me was.

As I neared the head of the King Taijitu, I reared my fist back, preparing to sling it forward with the force of my entire body behind it. I was moving too fast for any of them to even comprehend that I was there. Finally, I slammed my fist into the side of the white King's head, putting behind it all the force at my disposal.

Normally, the incredibly thick and armored hide of the King Taijitu would make it one of the few things that could weather a direct hit with my Ember Celica. However, this was not the case this time. I was moving at such a great velocity, and had my aura boosting me to such an extent, that I wasn't so much punching the Grimm, so much as I turned myself into a giant artillery Dust shell aimed at its face.

So, like the giant Dust shell I was, I didn't give a shit about its tough exterior.

* * *

**Weiss pov**

**9:26 am**

_I regret everything_ I though in horror.

It turned out that this girl wasn't exactly what I expected.

Was she strong?

Yes, unbelievably so. In fact, she'd actually probably be an incredible match with me in combat. Unfortunately, she had some problems when it came to her personality.

You see, it turned out that this girl was Nora Valkyrie, the girl Lie Ren told me about. She's also the girl he warned me about. While he did say he was great friends with her, he was also the first to admit she could be a bit…spontaneous.

In fact, when we met he called her the living incarnation of spontaneity.

At the time I was skeptical of his assertions. I thought he was exaggerating her faults, after all, no one could be _that_ bad. I was confident that if she was good friends with Ren, then she had to be amicable enough.

It turned out, if anything, he was _underselling it._

Not that she wasn't…friendly…per say. It's more that she was just so…random.

"Weiss, Look!" She exclaimed, pointing off in a direction.

"What." I sighed, looking at her tiredly.

_I swear to god if it's nothing again…I won't be responsible for my actions_.

"It's an Ursa." She whispered to me, leaning up close to me ear to tell, as if it was some sort of scandalous secret.

But, it turned out she was right. Standing about 50ft away in the forest was an Ursa, one that had no idea we were here. Instead, it was turned the complete opposite direction, looking at something deep in the forest.

"Yes, yes it is." I said slowly, not seeing where she was going with this.

"Are you going to kill it?' I asked slowly.

Then she looked at me like I had just asked if she wanted to bake it fucking goddamn muffins. Like _I_ was the crazy one. _Me!_

"Why would I kill it Weiss?" She asked in a confused tone of voice, as if she couldn't even _begin_ to understand why we would kill it. The worst part was _how_ she asked it. It was the same way a teacher would ask a student why they were eating glue.

Fucking glue!

It drove me _mad._

"So what _are_ you going to do with it?" I asked a tense voice with an equally tense smile. It's all I could do to keep from strangling her.

"Ride it~" She sung.

She fucking _sung._

And that was it, I broke. I could _not_ take anymore.

_I'm sorry Ren, she has to die_ I thought as I lunged for her throat.

Unfortunately, Nora disappeared. I don't know how she did it, but one second she was standing next to me, looking at the Ursa in awe and anticipation, completely unaware of my ire. The next, she's gone, _fucking gone_.

I look around for her, trying to find out where the hell she went.

"Weiss, look! I'm riding it!" She cried out excitedly to me.

No sooner had she said that than did my blood run cold.

_Oh god no_

I turned and looked to see Nora was, indeed, riding on top of the Ursa. She was waving at from on top of the large Grimm, with an ecstatic smile on her face. She most certainly didn't look like someone who was on top of a very dangerous and deadly Grimm that could grind her bones into dust if it wasn't for her Aura.

The Ursa, however, didn't even seem to notice her. It was still looking off in some direction in the forest, not even giving us a second glance. It was as if it sensed something, and was trying to find out what to do about it.

Soon it came up with its answer.

With a loud roar, it charged into the forest, chasing after whatever it sensed. Nora hung onto the Grimm as it charged forward, laughing in glee without a care in the world as the Ursa took deep into the forest, and away from her partner.

As much as I wanted to stomp my feet and throw a temper tantrum at the insanity that was my partner, I couldn't. Even if she was…random…I couldn't, in good conscience, leave her to die to the hands of a horde of Grimm. More importantly, she was my partner, and that meant we had to stick together and help each other out.

Even if she didn't understand that.

So, I grit my teeth, took a deep, angry, breath, and charged in after her.

_This had better be fucking worth it_.

* * *

**Ren pov**

**9:47 am**

_What are they waiting for?_ I wondered as I looked at them.

The Grimm were just…standing there. They were all looking in the same direction, off to my left, as if there was something deep inside the forest that had caught there attention.

_But what?_ Pondered.

I considered attacking while they were distracted, but I wasn't sure if that was the best use of my time. After all, my killing one of them could just break them out of their stupor. Then I'd have killed one Grimm, and enraged the rest of them.

In any case, this time gave me time to catch my breath, something I was in dire need of. So, taking a brief respite, I took a head count.

There were seven Beowolves and the white head of that King Taijitu. Not impossible for me to kill, but it would be somewhat of a challenge to kill the King Taijitu with all the Beowolves around, and vice versa.

That said, the snake didn't seem to interfere with me last time when I was killing the Beowolves, so maybe it wouldn't this time.

Before I could get much further in thought, the King Taijitu in question seemed to remember that I was there. It turned its white head back to face me, glaring at me with its angry red eyes filled with hunger. It slid its tongue out, tasting the air.

_HHSSS_ It sounded loudly, in approval or anger I couldn't tell.

It reared back, preparing to strike at me. In response I got into a fighting stance, bending my legs and preparing to dodge its lightning fast strike. Then, it twitched, and then its whole body lurched-

_**BOOM!** _

A loud, wet, crunchy, gore filled explosion sounded through the quiet riverbed as a streak of golden, fiery, light flew from the forest on my left and slammed into the head of the King Taijitu. It slammed into the snake with such force that its head simply exploded in a fountain of blood, bone, and gore.

The shockwave from the explosion forced me to cover my eyes as the blood and pieces of the once proud snake flew everywhere. When I lowered my arm, the snake was, obviously, dead. A gory stump of bone sticking out where its head used to be.

In its place, was a girl with a long mane of fiery, golden hair. She was wearing a small brown jacket, underneath was a yellow shirt of some kind, and a pair of black shorts with an odd brown and white skirt-belt-thing.

Most importantly, her face was filled with rage and hate. Her eyes were fiery red, and her golden hair was wreathed in flames form her aura. She was _radiating_ this rage, it was so strong within her.

And that's what the Grimm where sensing.

Considering how much of this she was radiating, I wouldn't be surprised if every Grimm in the forest could sense her. Every single Beowolf in the riverbed was staring at her with hungry red eyes.

_Well, I guess I found my partner_ I thought wryly, trying to look at the bright side.

Thinking about how bad it was that she was attracting all these Grimm probably wouldn't do anything except draw in _more_ Grimm. Then again, considering the fact she was _radiating_ a god damn _rainbow_ of negativity so fierce even _I_ could sense it, I doubt anything I felt would even register.

It would be like lighting a firework during a bright and sunny day. Yeah, someone might notice, but it would barely make an actual impact.

I was torn from my thoughts about my situation when she made a move. Getting into a boxing stance, she threw her fist forward. It's at this moment when I saw the golden gauntlets covering her arms. When she threw her fist forward, as if delivering a punch, her weapon triggered, sending a Dust round flying at one of the Beowolves.

The second the shining shell made contact with one, it detonated with a loud _BANG_. The explosion engulfed the Grimm. While it wasn't enough to blow off any limbs, the heat of the explosion burned the front of the beast severely, while the shockwave of the blast likely crushed its organs. The sheer force of the blast sent the Grimm flying back, smoke wafting off its corpse.

Before it fell to the ground dead, the girl repeated this performance on the other Beowolves, screaming in rage with each punch. The other Beowolves attempted to dodge, but she saturated the area with her shot gauntlets. They rung out with a deafening _BANG_ that threatened to drown out her screams and the howls of the Grimm each time they impacted.

Finally, it stopped.

All the Beowolves where laying on the ground in bloody, burnt, pieces, victims of the golden girl's fiery onslaught. They lay in a pockmarked area of the riverbed that was still smoking from the impact craters.

She stood there, looking over the carnage she wrought. She huffed and puffed, breathing deeply in exhaustion. She didn't seem to be as angry anymore, like this massacre helped blow off steam for her.

Feeling that this was an appropriate moment, I decided to get her attention.

"Hello?" I said, speaking up.

She spun around, looking toward me in surprise, as if she forgot I was there. When she first looked at me there was a degree of hope in her eyes. However, the second she actually _looked_ at me, that hope gave way to obvious disappointment.

She shook her head, trying to shake something out of her head. When she opened eyes again, they were violet, and she had a cheery look on her face.

"Hey" She responded easily, getting into a relaxed stance.

"Thank you for that." I graciously said, gesturing to what she did.

At this she took another look around, realized that I had seen the whole thing, and for an instant, she faltered.

There was something inside her, something she was doing a _very_ good job hiding. Most people wouldn't have even noticed. As it was, I could only tell that something was up, not necessarily what it was.

When she recovered, she wore a confident and smug grin.

"So, did I save your life?" She questioned with a confident smirk.

"Perhaps, but either way, I appreciate the help given. This would have been a decidedly more long and drawn out fight without you." I responded calmly

And there it was again, that little tiny flicker of…something.

Still, she was able to recover and smile through it, walking up to me with confidence.

"Well, glad I could help. I'm Yang, Yang Xiao-Long." She said, introducing herself with an open hand.

I took it and gave it a simple shake, responding. "Lie Ren, though I prefer to go by Ren." I said evenly.

She nodded in acknowledgement before speaking up again. "Well then, Ren, I guess that makes us partners."  
"Indeed it does, though we should probably leave." I responded.

She looked at me curiously. "Really, why?"

"No offense, but just a couple of seconds ago, you were _radiating_ negativity. I have no doubt that every Grimm for at least a mile sensed you, and is on their way here." I answered calmly, trying not to insult her, while still informing her of the situation.

As if to accentuate my point, there was a loud _RRRROOOOAAAARRR_ in the distance, signaling the approach of a horde of Grimm. Looking around us I noticed that there were storm clouds coming toward us.

At this, she got a guilty look on her face.

"He he, whoops?" She said lamely as she rubbed the back of her head in guilt.

"It doesn't matter, we should leave before the horde gets here." I answered, focusing on more important things than whose fault it was.

No sooner had I said that than did a set of bushes in the right side of the riverbed began to rustle fiercely. In an instant the two of us both got into a fighting stance directed at the bushes. And then out from the bushes leaped a ferocious…

Rabbit.

A tiny little rabbit.

We just stared at each other for a couple seconds. The rabbit in terror, and us in surprise.

"Huh. I was expecting something big-" Yang began

_RROOAARR!_

As if the universe heard her complaints and decided she needed to learn lesson, an Ursa jumped out of the same bush, crushed the rabbit into a bloody stain on the ground, and roared at us. Before we could react, however, a loud _Boom!_ Sounded from its back, along with a familiar cloud of pink.

The Ursa gave one last groan of pain, before it fell over on the ground, dead, with a large gaping hole blown into where the back of its neck should be.

"Awe…it's broken." A familiar voice whined.

"Nora?" I questioned, wondering how the hell she found me. The Ursa thing…well it wasn't exactly the first time it's happened, nor was it the oddest thing she's done.

When I called out her name she peeked up over the Ursa corpse, locked eyes with me, and screamed out in joy, "REN!"

In an instant she vaulted over the Ursa and tackled me into a hug. A typical, bone crushing, Nora hug.

"Nora." I said calmly, warning her to get off me before she killed me.

"Sorry Ren." She said cheerfully, clearly _not_ sorry, at all.

I had long gotten used to it, so I didn't mind it too much. I looked to my side to see Yang have an odd expression on her face. It was as if she wasn't sure how exactly how to react to all this.

I sighed, knowing that such was the existence of Nora.

"It's okay Nora." I answered with my sigh.

"Who's this?" She asked, getting right in Yang's face.

Yang, not expecting Nora to "teleport" right in her face, blinked and yelped in surprise.

"Uhh…" Yang said, still trying to understand the entity that was Nora.

"Yang Xiao-Long, this my old friend Nora Valkyrie. Nora, this is Yang, my partner." I said introducing everyone to each other.

"Hey~" Yang said uncomfortably, still finding Nora's invasion of her personal space weird.

Thankfully, Nora pulled back and gave her some space. She looked at me and said, "Ren, you have a partner too! We could trade partners, and then _We_ can be partners." She schemed

But something stood out to me.

"Wait, Nora you have a partn-?" I began to ask.

"NORA!" another familiar voice screamed in frustration.

"Weiss!" Nora cheerfully responded

"What the _Hell_ was that!" Weiss screamed at her, the white clad Heiress walking out of the forest, her face red with fury as she stomped toward Nora.

Nora, either not understanding or caring about how Weiss felt about this, responded how only she could.

"I found Ren!" She responded happily, gesturing to me.

Unaffected by her antics, I played my part by giving Weiss a wave.

Weiss looked at Nora in rage, then looked at me in surprise and disbelief.

"Wha-I don't even-what the." Weiss murmured in incomprehensible horror as she dug her hands into her white hair, also struggling to come to terms with Nora's existence. She tried to understand how in the world Nora's "ride the Ursa" tactic actually worked.

I learned a long time ago that you'll waste a lot of brain cells trying to understand. All you need to do is accept it and move on.

Finally, after murmuring gibberish about it not making sense, she screamed in frustration before it melted into hanging her head in defeat and weeping.

It's then that I realized that _Weiss_ was Nora's partner. I opened my mouth and widened my eyes in horror. Nora, while she was my best friend, something I wouldn't wish on anybody unprepared. I walked up to the crying Weiss and put my hand on her shoulder for support.

"Weiss, I am _so_ so very sorry she's your partner." I said sincerely to her.

In response she just cried into my chest and said, "She took a live bird out of an Ursa."

Another sob

"And ate it whole."

"Yeah, she does that. Don't worry, I'll help you deal with her." I said, trying to comfort her.

_If I don't then Weiss might actually lose her mind_ I thought as I patted her head.

* * *

**Yang pov**

**9:53 am**

_So, I guess I have my team_ I thought

They seemed like a pretty good team. Nora, while weird, looked like she could be fun. Weiss seemed like she was probably high-strung, and maybe even a prude. In either case, teasing her should be amazing, and get me tons of laughs. Ren however...

Ren was a problem.

Well, that's not exactly right. He wasn't a problem himself. It wasn't his fault, at all. He wasn't annoying, he wasn't mean. No.

He was cool. He was nice and stoic, like a rock.

That, however, was kind of the problem. Unlike the others, I didn't exactly have a way to distract him, to make him not notice my faults. In fact, I know he's noticed when I falter slightly. He even saw me when I let lose against those Grimm during my fit of…whatever that was that led me to Ren.

I don't think he knows anything, but it'll only be a matter of time.

I'd prefer to not tell anyone about, my problem. Not only will they fuss over it, they might try and fix it. Once upon a time, I might have wanted that. If things were different I might have supported that, I might have even championed it, saying that friends help friends or some such things.

But now?

With my burden?

I didn't want any of them to know.

Even worse, however, was Ren's mannerisms. That stoic face reminded me of Ruby. Not that he really resembled, or truly acted like her. No.

Instead, it was his infallibility. His ability to see an insane scene with a straight face, nod in acceptance, and move on. I can't say I know a lot about the guy, I just met him a few minutes ago, but already he's reminded me of that Nightmare.

He might not have Ruby's hollow eyes, but looking at his blank face just reminds me of the dream, and I can't help but be pulled back into it.

* * *

**The night before**

I was walking through a dark forest. I don't know why I was here, or even how I got here. I just knew I was back in the forests of Patch.

I looked up, expecting to see the night sky, but instead I just saw a pitch black void. Not stars, no moon, no nothing. It's like the forest was in some kind of empty void.

The trees were dark, but not so dark I couldn't see them in the void. In addition, all the grass was...glowing, sort of. Despite all the darkness around, I could see the bright green grass easily. In fact, I could see everything easily, even though everything was shrouded in darkness.

Moving on, I continued to walk through the forest. I had the vague sense that I was walking home, but I don't really know from where.

Then I heard it.

"Yang"

Her voice was like a whisper through the trees. It was like the wind itself was talking to me.

I spun around, trying to locate the source of her voice. Then I saw a flash of red. Red like Ruby's red cloak.

I walked after it in search of my lost sister

"Yang, where are you?" She cried out to me. She sounded lost and confused.

"Ruby? I'm right here." I called back, trying to find her.

Then I spotted another flash of her red cloak as she walked through the shadowed forest.

"Ruby!" I called out to her. "Wait up!"

Then I heard a twig snap loudly followed by a low growl

"Yang!" She called out, panic filing her voice.

Then I heard her run off, followed by something big, something hungry.

"Ruby!" I shouted, running after her.

I ran through the forest, only able to see glimpses of her red cloak through the trees. My footsteps were loudly marked by the sound of twigs snapping and leaves crunching under my feet.

_GRR_

Another growl joined the first, signaling that another monster was chasing her.

"Yang, help me!"

"Ruby!" I cried out, desperately trying to find her, my little sister.

I wanted to do everything I could to keep her safe, to protect her. That's what big sisters did, after all. That's what I was supposed to do.

But I was failing.

_GRR_

_Thump_

The monsters growled again before the sound of something being hit hard echoed through the forest, and it was joined by the pained cry of a small child. Then it all went quiet.

"RUBY!" I screamed, running my throat ragged with all my screaming.

I pushed myself harder and faster. Those monsters had hurt her, and if I wasn't fast enough, if I was too late…

Shaking my head as I ran, tears falling from my water eyes, I pushed harder. My aura flared as I put my all into running as fast and as hard as I could. All the way there I screamed her name out as hard as I could, begging that my precious little sister was okay.

Finally, I ran into a small clearing. There, laying on the ground, were the bloody, torn clothes of my beloved little sister.

But not Ruby.

There was no sign of my sister herself, she was gone, just her tattered clothes.

I panicked, my breath hitching as I feared the worst. Even still, I had a glimmer of hope. In a frantic bid to find her I spun around, looking all around me for something, _anything_.

Then I saw it.

Another flash of red.

Not caring about why there was red there, or what it meant, I ran towards it. It was the only other red thing in this dark green forest. So I chased after.

Finally, I ended my journey, exiting the tree line and looking at something incredible.

It was a lake.

A crimson lake.

The water was bright bloody crimson. It glowed with that red light, lighting the whole area up an eerie bright scarlet. It was massive, and likely incredibly deep. The crimson water was reminiscent of blood, and yet…not.

It was like there was something…more to it. It was definitely more reminiscent of blood than water, though, but what it was remained a mystery.

_It's…beautiful_ I thought in awe of the crimson lake.

Shaking my head to retain focus, I concentrated on why I was here. Finding Ruby. So I looked around, desperately trying to find her, to cling on to the hope that my baby sister was okay.

_There!_ I thought, seeing her pale skin against the dark ground.

She was lying face down on the ground near the edge of a small cliff that fell into the lake. As I ran toward her, I absentmindedly noted and accepted some oddities about her.

I was still my 17 year-old self, but Ruby looked like she was back to being 5. In addition, she was completely naked. But, again, I just accepted it as vaguely odd and moved on.

I ran up to her body, feeling her neck for pulse. I breathed a deep sigh of relief when I felt it. It was weak, but it was there. She was alive.

"Ruby, get up." I said softly to her, shaking her shoulder.

She began to stir, shaking her body groggily as she woke up. She looked up at me with that face.

That old face.

It was filled with energy and life. Even if she was still sleepy, she still had so much energy in those bright silver eyes.

"Yang?" She asked, rubbing one of them.

"Hey Rubes." I said back, my voice cracking as my eyes watered.

It just felt so good to see her again, to see my beloved little sister again. The same one who would laugh and run and play outside with such vibrant energy.

_She's back_ I thought, looking into her loving face again.

"You found me." She said happily, looking up at me with a kind and innocent smile.

"Yeah, I did." I said, wiping the tears from my eyes.

I moved to pick her up and carry her back home through the dark forest, and I would kill anything that got in our way. So I bent over to gently grab onto her shoul-

_SPLASH!_

Suddenly, something shot out from the Crimson Lake beneath us, shooting up into the air. It grabbed onto Ruby's leg and pulled her away from me.

"Yang! Help me!" She cried out in fear as she was pulled toward the edge of the cliff.

I ran after her, refusing to let her go.

I lunged, just as she was pulled off the cliff, and managed to grab onto her right arm.

"Ruby, hold on!" I said, pulling with all my strength in an effort to pull her up to the cliff and into the safety of my arms.

I looked down to see…something, wrapped around her left leg. It resembled a black tentacle, and was coming up from the Crimson Lake below us.

"Yang, don't leave me!" She cried out, tears in her eyes as she feared for her life.

_No no no! I can't let this happen! I can't lose her!_ I thought desperately as I tried to pull her back up.

"I'm not going to leave you!" I swore to her.

I could feel my grip slipping slightly from the sweat on both out hands.

"Yang, I'm scared." She said to me with fear-filled eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you." I said, trying to put on a brave front, but inside I was breaking.

I refused to let her go, but I didn't know how to save her.

Then I heard the sound of cracking and popping. I looked down to see Ruby's arm and leg being pulled far beyond what they are supposed to. The extreme tension on her body was tearing her apart.

"It hurts!" She cried out, tears flowing freely as she cried in pain at being slowly torn

She screamed and hollered as her muscles and bones were put under the stress. I knew then that even if I _could_ win in a test of strength against this monster, Ruby's body wouldn't.

Then, with a loud _Pop_ , her shoulder was dislocated, eliciting another cry of agony.

Seeing no other choice, I pulled back one of my hands, trying to use my Ember Celica to blow a hole in the tendril. Then it happened.

I don't know what it was. Maybe a twitch, fatigue, I don't know. I'm not even sure what happened exactly, all I know is one thing.

I let her go.

I made a mistake, and I let go of her hand.

And that part is by far, the clearest thing to me. I didn't just lose my grip, she didn't just slip through my fingers. No. I _let_ her fall.

And fall she did.

She looked up at me with teary silver eyes filled with such betrayal and sadness. She trusted me, and I let her go.

So down she fell, pulled down by the black tendril of flesh. Then, with a loud _SPLASH_ , she was dragged down into the Crimson Abyss.

I just sat there on that cliff, looking down at the lake below, hoping, and begging, for her to come back to me. I prayed that she broke the surface, and managed to swim to shore.

But it never happened. She was gone. Lost to me forever. All because of my mistake. I let her down.

I let myself down.

And all I could think of as I blankly stared at the Crimson waves beneath me, was _No_.

Then, in a fit of rage, I screamed.

"NO! No No No! I let her go! Me! This is MY fault!" I roared as I pounded my fists into the ground.

_I'm not a big sister! I'm scum! I was supposed to protect her! I couldn't pull her up a god damn cliff!_

I hollered and roared in emotional agony, knowing that I was the only one at fault. She would still be here if it wasn't for my _stupid!_ Mistake.

But then I was torn from my thoughts with one little word.

"Why?"

I froze in horror, paralyzed by my own fears. Slowly I looked behind me with wide eyes, trying to see who said. To my absolute terror, it was _exactly_ who I thought it was.

"Why did you abandon me Yang?" Ruby asked, 12 years old, covered from head to toe in crimson fluid, and looking at me with those _damned_ hollow silver eyes.

I could only look at her in mute horror, unable to speak as I felt my heart crumple up and die.

"Why did you let me go?" She asked, tilting her head in that damnable way again.

_No, no no no!_ I thought, tears streaming down my face in horror at what had happened to my precious little baby sister.

"Why did you do this to me?"

_I'm sorry_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tada
> 
> If you want a good idea of what the Crimson Lake looked like, look up Red Water from Full Metal Alchemist. It resembles that, but darker. More crimson, less pink.
> 
> I also kind of split up Ren and Nora.
> 
> I thought it would be funny.
> 
> I feel like Nora and Weiss is comedy gold that no one has struck yet. Plus Ren and Yang could be pretty cool seeing as they both have extensive martial arts skills.
> 
> That being said, it's also not plot centric. They're all going to be on the same team, that's not changing.
> 
> Team WYVR (Wyvern) is a thing now, and that's final. Don't like it, get out.
> 
> Regardless, more Yang stories. I have now unveiled that Yang has some serious shit in her head.
> 
> Well, technically everyone I'm writing does now.
> 
> But now I've shown you a real peek at what it is for Yang.
> 
> Plus, we got to see what Yang's nightmare was, as well as a hint regarding what happened to Ruby.
> 
> Also, regarding Weiss's cursing, I feel like Weiss is the type of person that curses violently in their head when angry, but due to her "proper" upbringing, does not say such things out loud.
> 
> Unless she's furious.
> 
> So yeah, that's Scene 11: Golden Regrets
> 
> Up next is Scene 12: Viole(n)t Skies
> 
> That's right motherfuckers.
> 
> It's rhyme time.


	12. Scene 12: Viole(n)t Skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The teams are formed, and everything's looking up. Unfortunately for all involved, dark skies lie ahead

**Goodwitch pov**

"Well, Ozpin, it looks like we have our first team." I commented, noting the first group of four to arrive at the ruins.

"I still can't believe you used the chess pieces from the chess set in your office as 'relics'." I muttered.

"It's my chess set, I can do whatever the hell I want with it." He muttered back, taking a sip of his tea.

Taking another glance at the screen and adjusting my glasses I changed topics.

"I feel awful for poor Miss Schnee. While Miss Valkyrie is certainly effective in combat, being partnered with her will certainly be a…trying… experience for her." I commented.

Just then another gust of wind blew my hair into my eyes, forcing me to brush it out of the way.

"I think Miss Schnee will be having larger concerns at the moment." Ozpin remarked

"True, she does need to make her way safely back to the cliffs in order to pass. She can't rest on her laurels quite yet." I agreed

"That's not what I meant." Ozpin said flatly

I looked up from the scroll's screen to give him a questioning glance.

"The storm's gotten worse." He said simply, giving brief gesture with his head up ahead of me.

I turned forward, expecting to see the storm clouds we saw earlier in the distance.

"What the-." I muttered, my eyes widening in in shocked horror.

Today was supposed to be a regular, sunny day. A perfect day for the Initiation to occur unimpeded. Clear skies, a little warm, and a mild breeze. Nothing was supposed to happen.

And then we spotted storm clouds in the distance earlier. We didn't really consider them much of a threat. They were tens of miles away, they probably wouldn't arrive at the forest until the afternoon. They didn't even seem to be too threatening.

It seems that they've…intensified…since then.

Now massive, dark grey, thunderclouds were upon us, looming over much of the forest like a giant in the sky. They were spread across the sky for as far as the eye could see. Only behind us did the sky become clear, though if the storm kept up its current pace, that wouldn't be the case for long.

The most unsettling part, however, was what the clouds were doing. They were beginning to spin. It was slow, but the rotation was obvious.

"This is very bad." I said grimly.

"Ozpin?" I asked, turning to Ozpin to see his thoughts on the matter, and saw a frown of thought and concentration upon his face.

After a couple seconds he finally looked back to me.

"Miss Goodwitch, any thoughts?" He asked seriously.

"I think we should prepare an evacuation zone. If that storm is as bad as it looks then it could frighten the students. Having 80 frightened students in a Grimm infested forest during an intense storm is just asking for casualties." I explained.

Given the empathic abilities of the Grimm, having so many frightened people in one area would be an irresistible meal for them, causing even slumbering giants to wake from their hibernation to feed. In the end it would be a vicious positive feedback cycle.

As the initiates feared, more Grimm would come. They would fight them off, but as the endless horde kept coming, some initiates would inevitably get injured, and possibly even die, causing more fear.

In the event something like that happened, the teachers _would_ get involved. Despite what we said about not interfering, we still had a duty as teachers and hunters to keep these children safe. We simply didn't want to coddle them.

Still, even if the teachers _did_ enter the forest, given the stormy conditions, if an event such as the one I previously described happened, then we would inevitably lose _someone_. There is only so much we can do, after all.

"I would prefer to prevent the worst case scenario from happening _before_ it occurred, and not simply work damage control." I finished.

He nodded, taking another sip from his mug.

"I agree completely." He began, glaring at the storm.

"And in that case, I think we should contact the V.A.F." He added.

"The V.A.F.?" I questioned, thinking that might be going a bit far. Beacon had its own Bullheads, it didn't need to contact the kingdom's air force for assistance in that regard.

"I know what you're thinking, and I know we have our own, Glynda. That's not what I'm talking about." He explained, holding a hand up in concession.

"Then…what is it?" I asked

He sighed, seeming exhausted by the burden of the truth, of knowing how bad it really was.

"As I walked around the campus this morning, and even at the launch pads, I noticed something…disturbing." He began

"It seems that all the initiates had some sort of nightmare. One _specifically_ about initiation. While I can't exactly confirm this, it seemed that said nightmare involved them _dying_ during said Initiation." He continued before pausing to take another sip.

After a moment of consideration, he spoke once more.

"Almost every single initiate was filled with some level of fear entering that forest. For some, it was nervousness, and for others, it was outright terror." He explained, pausing to turn from the storm and direct his gaze towards me.

"You were worried about what would happen if the Emerald forest was filled with scared children." He began.

He took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes for a minute, before he let out a breath.

"What you failed to realize, is that we had already done so several hours ago." He said darkly, putting his glasses back on.

"Then that means…" I trailed off, widening my eyes as horror took hold within me.

"There is _already_ a massive horde of angry, hungry, and no doubt ancient Grimm hunting in those woods." He finished with a dark frown.

I took another look at the storm, the storm that just seemed to be getting more and more ominous and deadly by the second. It had yet to truly hit the forest yet, but there was no doubt that was only minutes away. The students were _not_ prepared for something of this magnitude, hell, not many trained hunters were.

It was at this moment that my worst fears were realized. I had been worried about playing damage control, but unfortunately it seemed I already was. If we were right, then this was a worst case scenario that even some teams of fully trained hunters wouldn't be able to handle.

"I'm going to be sending out an alert to every initiate and teacher, as well as coordinates to both the ruins with the relics, and the evacuation site. Now is not the time for them to be wondering around aimlessly in the woods." I said, beginning to get to work on my scroll.

"And I'll get in contact the V.A.F.. Hopefully they will be able to do _something_ in time." He began.

"Because if that storm hits, and we aren't ready, it's going to be a bloodbath down there."

* * *

**Yang pov**

"So, I guess these are the…relics." Weiss said, noting the black and gold chess pieces.

We had followed the dried up river bed into a large clearing, which in turn lead here. The river bed continued on further into the forest at the other end of the clearing.

"I guess we're the first people here." I noted, referencing the fact that none of the other pieces had been taken.

It was a partial chess set. There was one pair of each of the different pieces, one gold, one black, and each was standing atop a pedestal in a dilapidated ruin.

"So, how do you think this works?" I asked, looking at them.

After a second or two of thought, both Ren and Weiss responded at the same time.

"It's somewhat obvious, when you think about it." Weiss said.

"It's not that hard to figure out." Ren mirrored at the same time

In response to their word jumble the two of them looked at each other oddly for a couple seconds. Weiss glared slightly with a slight blush, while Ren just looked at her with a raised brow. I just looked at them with a knowing grin, figuring I could use this material to get a rise out of at least _one_ of them.

I looked around to see how Nora was reacting to this. Hopefully she was pouting jealously or something. If there was some kind of jealous love triangle developing in the team I needed to know.

Er, to stop it from disrupting team cohesion, of course.

I most certainly would not use it against them for my own enjoyment, teasing them mercilessly while I played the beautiful and intelligent matchmaker. So, when I looked around for Nora, to see a blush, a glare, a pout, I found that Nora was…

…

Nora was playing with the fucking chess pieces.

"'No!' said ser Gaspard to his dark king Bartholomew, 'I will not harm the golden queen, Isabella, for she is carrying my child!' he proclaimed. Bartholomew glared at his once ruthless knight, now blinded by love, 'then if you won't do it, then I'll have to slay you both!' he roared." Nora said, acting out some kind of love, drama, adventure thing with the chess pieces.

I stared at her, dumbfounded.

_What the actual fuck?_ I silently said not entirely sure how to react to this.

I turned back to Ren and Weiss in time to see them finish up with some discussion they had. Ren looked away from Weiss to look at Nora, appearing to take note of the fact his friend was playing Telenovela with chess pieces, but not so much as even raising a brow in surprise.

"Nora." He said calmly, but without any clear intent.

Nora abruptly stopped what she was doing and gave him her full attention with a wide smile.

"What's up Ren?" She chirped.

"Can I see Isabella, please?" He asked with a straight face.

"Kay Ren!" Was her immediate response.

"Wait, you were paying attention to that?" I asked incredulously.

"It's Monday." He answered simply, if dismissively, in response, as if that explained everything.

He didn't even look at me when he said that. Instead he caught the golden queen piece, or "Isabella" that Nora tossed at him.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Weiss asked, not following…any…of this.

_She's not the only one_ I thought, giving the two of them a questioning look.

"And could you give Weiss Mary?" He asked, gesturing to the girl in white, while simultaneously ignoring the girl in question.

"Mary?" I questioned, wondering who he was talking about.

Nora apparently knew what he was talking about, because without hesitation she grabbed the black queen piece and tossed it to Weiss. Weiss, while surprised by the throw and still confused about the interactions between Ren and Nora, still managed to catch it.

Once she did she gave it a simple look over, before giving an odd look to both Nora and Ren. One I shared.

"Mary, the black queen." Ren said simply, as if that would explain everything.

"Wait, what's going on?" I asked, still very much confused.

Weiss gave another glance at Rena and Nora before answering me.

"Well, Ren and I figured that they make the four man teams by pairing up the two groups of partners that found the matching pieces. So, I'm taking the black Queen while Ren takes the golden one, that way we'll be on the same team." She explained.

"Oh, okay, that makes sense." I said in agreement.

Now that they said it, it was the only real logical conclusion. Why else would they have two sets of matching pieces?

"We should get moving." Weiss suggested.

"Do we have a plan as for what to do next?" I asked, not really sure where to go from here.

"I would assume we have to make our way back to the cliffs. From there we can climb back up to the plateau the school sits on." She explained.

Just then, my scroll buzzed. It wasn't very loud so if I was busy I probably wouldn't have noticed it, but as it was we were really just sitting around trying out figure out what to do. So, I pulled it out and woke it up.

I glanced up to see the rest of the group was attending to their own scrolls, which likely did the same.

I looked back down at the screen. Apparently I had received some kind of message. On it was a map of the forest, as well as an icon at a clearing at the base of the cliffs around Beacon.

"So, I'm guessing this is where we're supposed to go?" I put forward.

"I'm betting they gave the map to us since they knew we got the relics, which means that technically we've already passed the initiation." Weiss said.

"But how did they know we picked them up?" I asked.

"They said they'd be watching and grading us. I have a feeling there's some kind of surveillance system in the forest to keep tabs on us." Ren answered.

The rest of us nodded our heads in agreement, seeing the logic in the statement. Then I noticed something else on the screen.

"Hey what's this?" I thought out loud.

"'Incoming Storm Warning'" I read.

I raised a brow at that before looking up to the sky. I saw the large storm clouds that were upon us. At first glance, I would have said they looked like regular storm clouds and dismissed it. But there was something…ominous…about them. I couldn't really put my finger on what it was though.

So, unable to determine the cause of my…"feeling"…I tried to dismiss it with humor.

"They thought they had to tell us that?" I asked, finding the warning a bit…redundant.

Any idiot could figure that much out by looking up.

"Look at what else it says about the storm." Ren said with a grim frown.

"Tornado Watch. All students are advised to complete the Initiation with haste." Weiss read out loud with wide eyes.

With that sentence I took another look at the dark walls in the sky, and that's when I realized the problem.

"Shit." I cursed

_How did I not see it before?_ I questioned myself.

I could already see the slight rotation in the cloud. The wind was picking up, flapping our hair around. I could even see rain falling in the distance, as in, it was so thick I could _see_ the rain from a mile or two away.

At least, I hope it was just rain.

"So, it's true?" Weiss asked, worried.

"Yep. I don't know why I didn't see it before. I knew they were thunder clouds, but that's nothing new here. I didn't think an actual tornado would happen." I explained with a grimace.

"But it's only a chance, right? It's not like it's actually going to happen." Weiss asked again, fear flavoring her voice.

"You've never encountered a tornado before have you?" I asked her.

"And I don't mean those little ones you can make with Dust, or somebody's fancy semblance, I mean a real, full force, natural, tornado." I clarified, looking her straight in the eyes.

"Atlas isn't exactly known for its tornados. Blizzards, sure, but not tornados." She snapped back

"Yeah, well, even if there's just a _chance_ of a tornado, we need to move. It's the full force of nature's wrath in your face. It's not like the Grimm, you can't fight it. All you can do is run and get to cover." I answered.

"Besides, even if there _isn't_ an actual tornado, the fact they think their _might_ be means that there's a pretty serious storm on the way. And I don't know about you, but I'd rather not get caught in the rain." I explained

Weiss looked at me, slightly nervous, but absorbing the information well enough.

"Well, in that case we should move to the point specified on the map. They're probably evacuating those who have finished, or anyone who wants out." Ren suggested, looking at all of us more seriously than normal.

His eyes were narrowed in focus as he frowned ever so slightly, giving him a more intimidating than stoic look. He then glanced at Nora, who wasn't even looking at us.

Nora was instead looking at the tall, dark, ominous, storm clouds. She gazed at them with a grin tinged with slightly more mania than normal, and a spark of unbridled anticipation in her eyes. She wasn't even the slightest bit scared, no, she was eager for this storm to happen.

She was entranced by it.

Suddenly a flash of light went off to our left.

Weiss turned at looked at it, saying, "Hey, what was-"

_**BA-THOOOOOM!** _

Suddenly the roaring sound of thunder slammed us, giving us a deafening blast of air. We all flinched violently, covering our ears from the onslaught. When the ringing in my ears finally stopped I looked back out at the storm.

I could see the lightning flashing out in the darkness in front of us. The dark storm clouds covered up the sun, shrouding the forest in a kind of gray darkness, only lit up by the occasional flash of lightning.

From that moment on I could occasionally hear the faint roar of distant thunder. Suddenly the storm felt all too real and dangerous.

And helped remind me of certain night.

Shaking my head to get myself back into the present, I looked back at out group. Nora was practically bouncing on her toes in sheer enthusiasm, not even having the slightest bit of worry or fear in her. It's like she was waiting to go to the fair with her boyfriend, not in the middle of a storm.

Ren continued to look at her with serious concern. Not the kind where you look at them with a soft, concerned face. This was a harder, more serious form of it.

Weiss looked nervous. Not surprising if you've never encountered a tornado, or even a thunderstorm bad enough to warrant a tornado warning. She said they had blizzards up in Atlas, but nothing about thunderstorms. It made me wonder if she had even encountered real lightning before.

That being said, just because she's nervous of the thunderstorm didn't mean she had to be a stranger to them. I've known plenty of people offset by the appearance of fierce ones.

After all,

I'm one of them.

"So, are we just going to sit here and enjoy the lightshow?" I teased, trying to get everyone refocused.

That appeared to shake everyone, minus Nora, out of their stupors.

"Right, of course. We should head out to the evac point as quickly as possible. I recommend that we have Yang and Nora in the lead. They can smash through any Grimm that get in our way, allowing us to rush to the point without being bogged down." Weiss suggested, getting back into that tactical mindset of hers.

Ren nodded in appreciation of the plan before turning to his old friend. "Nora." He called out simply.

She turned to him, and he gave her a look. Somehow with that look he communicated all she needed to know.

"You got it Ren! I'll lead the charge!" She excitedly agreed, giving him a sloppy salute in the process.

She then proceeded to skip up ahead of us, twirling her hammer all the way, singing, "Thunderstorm, thunderstorm, thun-thun, thun-thunderstorm, thunderstorm, thunderstorm, thun-thun, thun-thunderstorm~"

I grinned, knowing my little plan had worked. Lots of people underestimated the effect comedy could have on people. Not wanting to be left behind, however, I quickly followed her.

Behind me I could hear Weiss moan. "What is wrong with that girl?"

I snickered at her pain. As weird as Nora was, she didn't really seem to be that bad. But, being the high strung girl that Weiss was, she would probably wouldn't agree with that statement. It's for that reason that I knew I would be having a lot of fun in this group.

Still, though, as much fun as I was having with these new guys, I couldn't help but be worried. That thunder storm unsettled me, made me uneasy. Though, it's not really the storm itself that unsettles me, no. It's really what they've always meant for me, what they've heralded.

_I hope it's different this time._

* * *

**Pyrrha pov**

_That storm looks bad_ I thought, looking up at the dark, swirling walls of dark grey floating in the sky.

After the thunder struck Lilith told us that we apparently all got a message in our scrolls. One we had missed. It told us the coordinates of the ruins and an evacuation zone they were setting up.

The storm was severe enough to warrant a Tornado Watch. This apparently meant things were bad enough that Professor Ozpin saw no need to drag out Initiation any longer than it needed to be. I'd say he wanted to get as many initiates out of the woods as fast as possible before the Tornado got here.

As I looked over the rest of the people that would likely compose my team, I took in their various states.

Blake was very uneasy and fidgety. While it was obvious the storm was somewhat unsettling to her, that wasn't what was really setting her off. Sure, she flinched whenever lightning struck nearby and the sound of thunder roared in our ears, but that wasn't anything special, Jaune did the same thing.

No, instead the majority of her unease seemed to come from my partner, Lilith. In fact, earlier she almost shot Lilith when she jumped out of the bushes, startling her. That's actually how we met. With Blake pointing a gun in my partner's face.

When she did I reacted on instinct again, my body felt like it moved on its own. It was like when I saw her earlier from the treetops. Again, however, I was able to reign it in before I did something I would regret.

Since that little incident, however, Blake has seemed very uneasy around Lilith, always trying to stay as far as possible from her, while still keeping an eye on her. Part of me is insulted that she's treating my partner like this, like a danger, a threat.

The other part wants to join her.

Still, though, I push past it. Apparently almost everyone Lilith's met treats her like that, and as a result she doesn't have any friends besides Jaune. It seems that boy can endear himself to everyone, though how he just pushes past her…creepiness…like it's not even there, I'll never understand.

In any case, after learning about this, I decided I wanted to try and be friends with her. Even if my instincts are constantly warning me about her, I'm better than that. I refuse to be a slave to these…irrational… desires and fears. Though…I suppose it helps that another side of me is very interested in the young girl.

Speaking of Lilith, out of all of us, she seems the least affected by the storm. If anything she's…mildly annoyed by it, if the slight frown that flashes on her face has anything is anything to go by. Like it's not a dangerous storm, but instead an annoying crowd of people standing in her way of doing something. An inconvenience, instead of a danger.

Finally, Jaune.

Jaune, is definitely unsettled by the storm. Not nearly to the extent that Blake is, but he's still very much worried about it. He keeps glancing around the forest nervously, as if expecting something to jump out and attack him.

At the same time however…

He seems kind of…protective…regarding Lilith. While he is afraid for himself, he seems much more worried about Lilith. Like he's her guardian or something. He's never more than three steps away from her, and constantly stands somewhere in front of her, in some kind of effort to take anything that comes at her first.

Considering Lilith looks like she's 12, has a broken arm, and concussion, it's not hard to see why. I'd probably feel more along those lines if she didn't make my instincts go wild.

As for myself…

I'm worried about the storm, but I can't exactly do anything about it. So, I prioritize. I focus on what I _can_ do, and what I can do well.

While I can't affect the storm, at least, probably not in any positive way, or without almost killing myself in the process, I _can_ help us get there in one piece. So, that's what I focus on. Making sure we get there as quickly and safely as possible, and killing any Grimm in our way.

Something I've noticed Jaune is surprisingly grateful for.

But that was what happened on our journey here. Now, we were at the ruins, and I wasn't entirely sure what to do.

"So…what do you think is the meaning behind these?" I asked the rest of the group.

I was staring at the set of chess pieces on pedestals in the ruins. Most were gone, there was only two pawns, a golden rook, and two bishops, and everything else was gone. Jaune, Blake, and I were all starring at them, trying to figure it out.

"It's obvious there's something else going on with these pieces, but what?" I pondered

"Do you think it's based around the colors, or the pieces themselves?" Blake questioned out loud.

"…yes." Jaune answered, nodding his head as if he had just given us sagely advice.

In response the two of us just stared at him quizzically. He started glancing at us both nervously once he realized that he hadn't actually said anything useful. He began sweating bullets before shrinking down and backing out.

"Never mind, I'll just…shut up now." He said, holding his hands up in submission.

Giving a small chuckle at his antics I shook my head.

"Lilith, what do you thi-" I began, looking to the smallest member of our group, one who had been surprisingly absent.

However, the words died in my mouth when I saw what she was doing.

Lilith was standing about 30 feet from us, all by herself. Well…

Except for the Beowolf.

There was a Beowolf standing right in front of her, just staring her in the face. It was practically close enough to lick her. Lilith had her back to us and her hood up, so we couldn't see her face, but I could only guess she was paralyzed by fear.

The Grimm, in turn, looked…entranced…by her. I couldn't be sure why, not with the blank red eyes it possessed, but perhaps it was one of hunger, like one would look at an incredibly tasty piece of meat.

My sudden bout of silence got the attention of my companions, causing them to turn to me.

"Pyrrha, what is-" Blake began before cutting off when she saw it.

Just like me, she appeared to be stunned into silence. What could we say? The youngest and most vulnerable member of our party was inches away from a deadly beast. She was frightened, injured, and as Lilith already told me, her Aura wouldn't protect her from its claws.

"Lilith!" Jaune cried out in terrified fear.

As he did, instinct once again took hold. Time seemed to slow as I moved to draw my rifle and take the Grimm down. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Blake doing the same with her pistol.

Jaune began to run to her, to try and do whatever he could to save her.

But it didn't matter. Despite my instincts, I was terrified. That Beowolf could take her head off before we could do anything to stop it. With just a twitch, it could end her life, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

I was helpless.

As that fear moved its way through my body, filling me, I felt a pressure in my head, like what I felt when I got up this morning. And then…

Then Lilith responded to Jaune's call.

She slowly, and calmly turned her head to us, once again showing us those hollow silver eyes. The second she locked eyes with me, I felt that pressure in my head skyrocket as my fear ramped, and it's all because of what I saw in those eyes.

Not Fear.

Not surprise.

Not hope.

But Annoyance.

" _What_?" She asked, an annoyed frown on her face and in her voice, as if we were interrupting her with something tedious, worthless, and beneath her. It was the most expressive I've ever seen her, and she was making it abundantly clear she was quite unhappy with us.

That single word stopped all three of us in our tracks. Jaune tripped and stopped running, barely managing to keep his balance. Blake widened her eyes in fear, and froze where she stood. I similarly halted my movements as my head was filled with one overwhelming message.

_THREAT_

It filled my mind, pushing out any other thoughts, and paralyzing me. But as it froze my body, so too did it increase that punishing pain in my head as the pressure ramped up.

Finally, after a second of pregnant silence, Jaune, the kind hearted fool that he was, spoke up.

"…uh…there's a, uh, Beowolf…" Jaune tried to say, stumbling over his own words in both shock and terror.

Lilith's frown only seemed to deepen at his words. Then, she made her move. It only an instant, a flash, but seeing her move caused Blake and I to react. Relying on our instincts, we both drew our weapons and-

_**BOOM!** _

The Beowolf was thrown back several feet before falling to the ground, dead, it's entire skull gone, disappearing in the explosion of blood, bone, and brain matter. All that remained of its head was a gory stump of bone sticking out of the remains of its neck.

Lilith was holding her smoking hand cannon up with her right arm as if nothing had ever happened to it, aiming at where the Beowolf once stood, not even bothering to look at the thing, not that she really had to. She was so close to the Grimm she could have slapped it with her gun.

Still frowning at us, she slowly lowered her massive black gun like it didn't weigh a thing.

"It's dead, happy now?" She responded icily.

We were stunned unable to respond to her. We could only gaze in shock at her mysterious actions.

Suddenly, a flash of Lightning lit up the sky, blinding us for an instant. When we opened our eyes again, Lilith was gone.

_**BATHOOM!** _

The thunder sounded, deafening us with its mighty blast.

When my ears finally stopped ringing, I noticed that there was a static sound in the background once again. I don't know how long it was there, it might have been there since I first noticed it at the launch. I simply recognized that it was still there. Then something broke the silence.

"Blake." Said a bland voice from behind us.

We turned, at to our surprise Lilith was standing behind us in the ruins.

_How did she?_ I asked in my head, wondering about her apparent teleportation.

_Her semblance?_ I considered.

Once Blake turned and looked at her, Lilith threw something at her. Blake instantly snatched the object out of the air before taking a look at what exactly she was holding in her hands.

It was the black bishop.

And without another word she walked away from the ruins, towards the forest.

"Wait, Lilith." I called out to her.

She stopped, turning to me with a blank face once more.

"What?" She asked coolly

"Your arm." I said, gesturing to her now fixed right arm. Not a few hours ago it was broken in two places, but now it was fine.

She let out an annoyed breath.

"I already told you, my Aura heals me fast." She explained.

"So, you're fine now?" I asked hesitantly.

At that she scowled at me.

" _No_ , I am not _fine_. I have a massive headache that's only gotten worse. I don't feel like wasting time answering stupid questions or dawdling around. I want to get this Initiation over with so I can finally get some rest." She retorted, her annoyance once again flaring up to the surface.

As it did, my subconscious once again reacted on instinct, but I reigned it in before I did anything more than twitch.

"So, why did you give Blake the black bishop?" Jaune asked, oblivious to her anger.

She huffed again before responding.

"Because, teams are made based on who takes the two matching pieces of the opposite color." she explained tiredly, showing off the golden bishop she had in her own hand.

"But why a bishop?" He asked earnestly.

"Oh, that?" She began, tilting her head to the side, her mood taking an abrupt shift.

Then a smile slowly crept onto her face. It was small, but it was still there.

"Irony." She answered cryptically before turning around and resuming her journey into the forest.

In response to her odd answer Jaune turned toward Blake and I, hoping for an answer. Having none, we simply shrugged, before following her into the forest.

_What is with this girl?_ I thought, trying to unravel her mysteries.

* * *

**Torchwick pov**

_These cots fucking suck_ I thought as I laid down on the hard as rock mattress in my cell.

It was a relatively simple white box, really. There was a toilet. An incredibly uncomfortable cot. A sink. Three white walls. And the "window"

The "window" wasn't really a window. It was basically the "bars" of my cell. Except, instead of steel bars, it was made of a resilient, hard, transparent material. It had various large holes in a pattern in it to allow air and sound to pass through. They weren't big enough for me to do much more than stick an arm through, but they didn't really compromise the structural integrity of the window either.

In the "window" was a door, which had slots for giving me my food trays. The whole thing was setup so they could watch what I was doing at all times. In addition, it also had something that could drain my aura to a degree.

While it wasn't exactly debilitating, it _was_ enough to keep me from enhancing my strength with aura, or using it to shield me. If they wanted to shoot me to death in here, there would be nothing I could really do to stop them.

Apparently, this is where they put their more dangerous criminals.

_I'm actually kind of flattered they think about me like that_ I thought pleasantly.

Soon after the little red girl knocked me out, they took me to the police station.

_That was fun_ I thought sardonically as I absentmindedly felt for the old knot in the back of my head.

It had healed since then, thanks in part to my aura, but at the time it hurt like hell. I'd have to remember to pay the little bitch back for that once I get out of here.

Then again, I suppose I shouldn't really complain. After all, if I had to compare her to most people that I do business with, they would have probably dragged it out with some kind of perverse pleasure. Taking as long as possible to make sure I _knew_ they beat me, and that they were better than me.

She just hit me in the back of the head real hard.

Didn't mean I didn't want payback, though.

Still, once I arrived at the police station, they tried to "interrogate" me. If they had been ruthless criminals, I might have been worried. Instead, they were Vale's police force.

Basically they were pansies.

I had nothing to be scared of from them.

So, I taunted my way through interrogation with only a bloody nose to show for it, and then they threw me in here. I have to say, I _was_ surprised they had the balls to throw a punch at me, but that's as far as they went.

Pussies.

I had been in here for a couple days now since then.

I sighed in boredom. The assholes didn't even let me smoke in here.

Why, I don't know. They probably thought I could use it to escape.

They were right, but that's not the point.

It's the _principle_ of it. I was being deprived of a civic right, dammit. I mean, leaving me in a cell with absolutely _nothing_ to do was a cruel and unusual punishment.

Well, I didn't have _nothing_ to do.

Just then I noticed that there was a changing of the guard, and this one I recognized.

"Hey, Mila! What are you doing back here buddy? I thought they were supposed to have a nice long rotation. I just saw you yesterday." I called out to her

The young, average looking girl in uniform and a hat groaned in response. During my time here, the guards were _supposed_ to rotate to keep me from familiarizing myself with any one of them too much. So I couldn't take advantage of them or anything.

They quickly learned, however, that while that _was_ the policy, when I was bored I could be _really_ annoying.

"I don't know. I told them the same thing, but they didn't care. They just told me to shut up and do it." She complained.

Mila was, basically, kind of the bitch of the police force.

"Maybe it's because I'm a Faunus?" She asked, considering it.

Literally.

"...Nah, couldn't be." I said after a moment with a smile.

I was lying. Very obviously I might add.

"You're right, they probably just trust me with this impressive responsibility because they know I'm such a capable officer." She said, getting pumped up by my "pep talk".

I just looked at her flatly.

_Really? I know I joke about Faunus all the time, calling them stupid flee-bitten mongrels and such but…really?_

The fact was, I had nothing special against Faunus. No, it's true. There was no one I disliked specifically because they were a Faunus, despite what I may say.

No, see, I just hate everyone equally.

Doesn't matter if your Faunus or Human. If you're a stupid piece of shit, then you're a stupid piece of shit, and I feel that it is my civic duty to remind you of that fact. If that means calling Faunus filthy animals, so be it. If it means calling Humans retarded abortions, I'll do what I have to.

It's not easy, but someone's got to do it.

Plus it's fun to get a rise out of Adam every now and then.

Now, I would make fun of Mila like that…

…If I didn't think it would make her cry.

I was a dick to people to get a rise out of them, not to make them cry. I was an asshole, not a fucking sadist. Besides if I did make Mila cry, her coworkers would probably just come in here and beat me up

Or spit in my food.

Besides, I had many ways of making others realize their incompetence. And, more importantly, I had other priorities.

Like…

"So Mila, did you bring a cigar with you?" I asked, propping my head up against the wall as I leaned back.

She sighed.

"You know I can't do that." She responded tiredly.

"You make it sound like it's such a big deal." I responded flippantly.

"They told me _specifically_ to never do it." She responded earnestly.

"Then in that case, I have no choice." I sighed.

"Huh?" She asked, not understanding where I was going with this.

I looked up at her and grinned a sinister grin. I was hoping I wouldn't have to use this, but desperate times called for desperate measures. If Cinder wasn't going to bust me out of here anytime soon, then I would just have to handle this myself.

I took a breath, gathering myself for what I was about to do to this poor girl. She probably didn't deserve it, but this wasn't about her, this was about me.

And I needed this.

"Knock knock." I said finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, so, both a lot and a little happened.
> 
> Surprise, a storm's on the way. A big one.
> 
> Also, Team ANBL and WYVR have their pieces, and as a result have technically passed Initiation
> 
> Technically
> 
> Also, I'm not sure if that's actually how the whole chess piece team picking thing worked in the show, but its how its working here.
> 
> Oh, and Nora did kooky shit
> 
> Ruby/Lilith did creepy shit
> 
> And we got a peek at Torchwick doing dickish shit.
> 
> Why?
> 
> Because he's not dead. He's just in jail
> 
> and you hear some interesting things in jail.
> 
> In any case, tell me how you think I'm doing, and try to be specific. Saying great story, while nice and makes me feel good inside, isn't terribly helpful at telling me what I'm doing well, and where I need to improve.
> 
> So, again, sorry if it seems like it's going at a snail's pace, but I refuse to just rush through this shit. A bunch of things I'm doing in here are going to be setting a precedent for later chapters, as well as being setup.
> 
> Plus, this is kind of par for the course, really. I mean, the first Arc, which was episode one plus a little, took 4 scenes.
> 
> The second Arc, which was kinda episode 2,3, and 4, took another 4 scenes.
> 
> The Emerald Forest Arc, which I believe is 4-8, is going to be 8 scenes.
> 
> But don't worry, next chapter shit goes down.
> 
> Actually...shit kind of just goes down continuously for the next 4 scenes.
> 
> hmm...
> 
> Oh well.
> 
> I doubt you'll complain about it.


	13. Scene 13: Scarlet Victory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the end. 
> 
> In The first of the last set of four Scenes to wrap up the Emerald Forest arc, team WYVR is tested.

**Goodwitch pov**

_Well, that's done_ I thought as I finished sending the emergency alert to the staff.

I turned to Ozpin to see how he was doing on his end.

It seemed he was just finishing up as well, as he put his scroll away. That being said, the frown on his face wasn't comforting.

"It's done, the Bullheads are being scrambled and as many Teachers as we can spare are heading there right now." I reported to him.

He nodded, acknowledging it.

"And you?" I asked hesitantly.

He sighed, looking exhausted once more.

"Well, there's good news and bad news." He began.

I raised an eyebrow questioningly at that.

"The good news, is that the V.A.F. _will_ be providing air support for us, even a number of Bullheads." He stated.

"And the bad news." I asked, narrowing my eyes at him

He sighed again, taking a sip of his coffee to stall.

" _On_ those Bullheads will be several squads of soldiers…along with… a squad of Watchmen." He answered.

Just the mention of those Watchmen caused me to bristle with anger.

"Those _murderers_ are coming here?" I questioned icily, gritting my teeth and my grip on my scroll tightening enough to cause it to groan under the strain.

"Yes…yes they are." Ozpin answered regretfully.

"Tell them no." I coldly told him.

"I can't, it was one of the requirements. If they're going to be sending any support, then they want Watchmen here too." He answered sympathetically.

"Well then, I guess we won't be getting their support." I said stubbornly

"Glynda." He said, giving me a disapproving look.

"I don't want those murderers anywhere near these children!" I yelled at him.

"Calm down, I understand how you feel, I do, but we _need_ them." He said, trying to placate me.

"No, we don't, we can do this by ourselves." I said stubbornly.

_If he thinks I'll allow those killers anywhere near this academy…_

"No, we can't. If we want to get as many of those kids out of here as possible, then we _need_ them." Ozpin began to explain.

"More importantly, as much as we may dislike the Watchmen, they _are_ effective. We could use their help to fend off the Grimm and _save students_." He continued, pleading his case to me.

"Yes, because we really need manslayers _protecting_ the children." I retorted.

"If it helps, then yes." He answered seriously.

"They were created to _kill us_." I seethed.

"They were created to _keep us in check_. After the StarFall incident, you can hardly blame their creation." He argued.

I huffed, realizing that he had a point. It still felt like a betrayal, however, that after all we've done for them, the kingdoms decided to make hunter-killing units.

"Besides, they aren't, strictly speaking, murderers. They simply enforce the law when no-one else can." He explained.

"So do we, and we seem to be able to bring people in _alive_. Besides, we don't need them to police ourselves. We can do it just fine." I argued back.

"I feel the same, but after StarFall, the people disagree." He answered back, sympathizing with me.

He sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"Regardless, the Watchmen are effective, and they are here to _protect_ and serve, not simply _enforce_. We can trust them to protect our students." He explained.

Realizing he had a point, I let out an angry breath. I closed my eyes as I tried to push out all that anger that came with thinking about the Watchmen, and instead thought about saving the students.

_Still…_

"You _do_ realize this is just a thinly veiled attempt for them to spy on the school, as well as what the next generation of huntsmen are capable of?" I questioned.

He sighed again, realizing that no matter what I did, I would always hold hostility regarding the Watchmen.

"Yes, I do. But, I'd rather them have students _to_ spy on, then turn the Emerald Forest into a graveyard of children." He answered tiredly, but with conviction.

" _Fine_." I said through grit teeth. "But I don't have to like it."

"I doubt anyone here does. They wanted to send three squads, after all." He added with a smirk

At that comment I had to give him a small smile. When he wanted to, Ozpin could be quite cunning. The fact that he managed to negotiate with the Vale armed forces command such that they dropped two squads is a testament to that.

That being said, the rest of the time he could be very lazy and laid back, much to my chagrin.

Then I noticed something move out of the corner of my eye.

Directing my attention back to forest once more, I searched for what it was. However, in the darkness brought about by the dark storm clouds, it was difficult to see anything. Then, a flash of lightning in the forest highlighted something in the dark. Something very bad.

And it was headed for the evacuation zone.

My eyes widened horror as I realized what it was.

"Ozpin, how soon will the V.A.F. be here?" I asked, hoping beyond hope they would be here in time.

"In about 23 minutes, why?" He asked cautiously.

" _Shit_." I cursed under my breath.

That got his attention.

"What is it?" He asked warily, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. He knew that I never cursed unless he either did something wrong, or something very, _very_ , bad had happened.

"The Beacon staff won't be there for another 15 minutes at the least." I muttered under my breath, considering my options.

_There's no one in the area that could help, not in time._ I thought, looking at all the angles _except…me_

And with that thought, my decision was made. I turned back to Ozpin to relay it to him.

"I'm sorry, professor, but I must take my leave." I said to him, my resolve ironclad.

"You're going to secure the Evac zone all by yourself?" He asked rhetorically

"If I have to." I answered.

He sighed, realizing he couldn't stop me.

"Well, I'd love to join you, but…" He trailed off, looking at me with a regretful smile.

"I know, and I understand sir." I replied

"Just, try not to die, okay? I'd rather not have to go through the paperwork." He teased with a smile.

As much as I wanted to scowl at him for it, I couldn't help but admire at the ability for him to still crack jokes at a time like this.

"Now I'm tempted, you'd actually have to do work." I retorted quietly as I turned to leave.

"That's what I keep Bartholomew around for!" He shouted back as I ran along the cliffs toward the LZ.

And at that, I couldn't help the smile that graced my face.

_I just hope I make it in time._

* * *

**Weiss pov**

_Finally_ I thought as the last Beowolf fell before me, bleeding from a hole in its chest.

We had finally reached the clearing where the evacuation zone was supposed to be after fighting our way through a small horde of Grimm.

_This definitely feels like the nightmare all over again._ I thought with a frown. _And that didn't end well_

"Where the hell is everybody?" Yang asked boisterously.

_Well, I suppose there is one big difference. I'm not alone now_. I thought with a small smile.

"I think they might have started preparing for the safe zone when we got our relics. They're probably on their way." Ren answered.

"So what, we got here early?" she asked back.

"Weiss's tactic was actually surprisingly effective. I'm willing to bet that most other initiates are being bogged down by the horde of Grimm in the forest." He answered

I bristled at his "actually surprisingly effective" comment.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, glaring at him with all the ire I could muster.

Sadly, it had almost no effect on his stoic face.

"I meant no disrespect, I simply meant that your plan worked better than we had hoped." He said, raising a hand up to placate me.

I huffed, but accepted it. Ren didn't seem to be the one to be hostile or passive aggressive.

_Unless he's really subtle about it_ I thought suspiciously.

Shaking my head to get my more mistrustful thoughts out of my head, I looked around the clearing.

It was roughly a semicircle, and was about 400 yds from the tree line to the cliff side at the farthest, and about 500 yds wide. The clearing was mostly flat, but there were a couple small hills here and there. On the cliff face were several rocky ledges jutting out from the wall. They were somewhat far apart, but I wouldn't exactly say they were completely out of reach.

All in all, it was a pretty good evac zone, I just hoped that they would get here before anything bad happened.

_**SCCCRRRREEEECCCCCHHHHH!** _

The deafening cry of a Grimm incinerated those hopes before they truly got off the ground. The blast of sound forced us to flinch and cover our ears, it was so loud, sharp, and painful to listen to.

It I looked up to see where it was coming from and to my horror found myself staring at a giant Nevermore. It was hovering over the forest, just above the treeline, flapping its obsidian, clawed, wings for lift. Each flap sent a massive gust of wind at us.

Most birds would probably have difficulties navigating in a storm, largely due to the large gusts of wind. This Nevermore, however, was the size of a house. With its enormous mass, each blast of wind probably felt no worse than someone blowing on it.

In fact, the second it appeared the wind grew even fiercer. It howled loudly as it blasted my hair around, dampening any and all sound. And despite this, it still hovered there, ignoring the roaring winds.

It looked at me with those four glowing red eyes filled with hunger and hate. It felt like it was peering into my very soul, judging my worth. It saw me not as Weiss Schnee, a huntress in training, or even the heiress to the Schnee Dust Corporation, instead it saw me as no more than a meal, as food.

That's all I was to it.

It was…humbling…to be in its presence. Unlike the other, lesser, Grimm, this thing wasn't just a stupid little angry beast. This bird was ancient, if its size was anything to go by, and it had both seen and slain many humans before me, perhaps even other hunters.

Unlike the other Grimm, this creature was superior to me. I couldn't hope to kill it on my own, not right now.

Knowing that, I couldn't help but allow despair to fill my soul.

_It is just like the nightmare. This is where I end_. I thought in horror as I stared at the massive black beast.

" **AHHH!** " A voice cried out in rage

It was matched with a shining streak of golden light flying through the air and smashing into the Nevermore's face with a _BANG!_

The giant Nevermore shrugged off the hit like it didn't even happen, caring about it less than one would care about being hit by a pebble, but it served another purpose. That battle cry, that blast of explosive fire shocked me out of horrified stupor. It made me remember where I was, what I was doing, and most importantly, _who_ I was.

_That's right. I am Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust company, and I am_ _ **not**_ _the food of some fucking trumped up piece of shit raven!_ I thought defiantly.

This wasn't a dream, or a nightmare, this was reality.

I was correct earlier, I couldn't hope to take this beast down myself. But, I wasn't alone. I had three other capable, if odd, fighters with me. Each one had proven themselves in their own way to me.

I didn't know too much about any of them, but I had seen them fight on the way here. I knew a little about their fighting styles, and that's all I really needed to get the ball rolling. Now that I was myself again, my mind raced as I thought of ways to take the black bird down.

While I thought, I looked around.

Yang had a face of enraged fury as she throw round after round of explosive slugs at the Giant Nevermore. The Nevermore, in return, simply looked at her like one would look at a particularly loud and annoying toddler. Finally, in a stroke of luck, one round got it in the eye.

_**SCREECH!** _

It howled in rage at the injury dealt to it.

_Eyes are a weakness, noted_ I thought, taking account of any advantages we could use to get the edge over this massive beast.

The Giant Nevermore directed its attention to the one who dared to injure it before releasing another screech of anger. It then flapped its wings with more force and fury than before. It sent dozens of obsidian feathers spearing toward Yang.

Most missed, instead littering the ground with man-sized black feathers. One, however, was right on target, and flew straight and true towards her. In response Yang simply backhanded it angrily away from her, before reloading.

"Yang!" I called out to her, having to yell over the loud, howling, wind that had developed.

"What!" She angrily called back, irritated at being interrupted.

"I have a job for you!" I began.

"I'm a little busy!" She snapped back.

"I want you to distract that!" I directed, gesturing to the giant Nevermore.

"What!" She asked, not hearing me.

I grit my teeth, hating having to repeat myself because of this _Goddamn_ storm.

"PISS OFF THE GIANT FUCKING BIRD!" I shouted at her

She paused for a second at my outburst, before grinning at my request.

"Can do princess!" She replied with an eager grin.

I resisted the urge to snap at her for calling me "princess". Right now I had other priorities other than getting into a shouting contest. As I began to turn away from her I saw her running around the field, shooting round after round of her explosive slugs at the flying Grimm. The giant Nevermore, in response, angrily flew after her, occasionally shooting its obsidian feathers at her.

I turned to my left, where Nora and Ren were standing.

Ren was talking to Nora, who seemed to be just as eager as Yang to run in and shoot the Nevermore, regardless of how effective it would be. I walked up to them, trying to get them involved in my plan on how to figure how to take this beast down.

I needed Yang to buy us time to come up with this plan. I was confident in her ability to not die. I had no faith in her being able to take it out by herself, but that wasn't the point. I just needed her to keep it away from us, to give us space, time, and peace to work this out.

"Ren." I shouted over the winds, getting his attention.

He turned to me with a question on his face.

"Yes?"

"Do you have any ideas for taking down the Nevermore?" I asked

"Explosions!" Nora yelled her suggestion.

I just looked at her oddly.

_Does she even fucking see what Yang's doing?_ I thought questioningly

While, yes, Nora's grenades _did_ hit noticeably harder than Yang's explosive slugs, I highly doubted it would be enough to take the Nevermore down. It _might_ be enough to hurt it slightly, but I doubted that she still had enough ammunition to take it down.

Even worse, the slower moving rounds would be more affected by the roaring winds, causing her shots to fly far off course. She might be good enough with her weapon to be able to correct for that, but I doubted it. Not in these winds.

"Any _other_ plans." I asked, shooting down her idea.

Nora, in response, pouted.

"Well, I think its hide is too thick for any of our weapons to get through. At least, at range. Nora doesn't have any of her HEAP rounds on her, and I don't know if Yang has anything armor piercing." Ren commented, talking over the winds.

I nodded in agreement. Myrtenaster didn't have anything that could pierce its armor at range either, and nothing I did with my glyphs or Dust would really be able to hit it while it was flying around in these fierce winds. And so that was the problem. Everything we had that could touch it wasn't able to hurt it enough to kill it or take it down. Anything we had that _could_ do that, couldn't reach it.

_So, we need a way to bring that fucker down to our level._ I thought.

"Ren, do you have any way to bring it down? To ground the Nevermore?" I asked, hoping that he did, because I sure didn't.

At that Ren frowned, narrowing his eyes. He seemed to mull something over, to consider something. Finally, he sighed.

"No, but Nora does." He said, turning to his friend.

Nora, in response, was bouncing on her feet in anticipation of what her friend was about to say. "Ren, does this mean I get to do the thing?!" She said excitedly.

He glanced at me for confirmation.

"Do you need her for anything?" He asked

I thought about it for a second, trying to think of any possible plan that would require Nora that would be better than her just taking it down herself.

"…No, not that I can think of." I responded finally, shaking my head.

He sighed again, resigning himself to the course he set his friend down.

"Well then Nora, you can do the thing." He allowed.

Nora's eyes lit up with exuberance, "Really?!"

"Go ahead." He nodded

"Thankyou!" She squealed, hugging him tightly, if briefly, before speeding off to the cliff.

When she reached the cliff she started to jump up the ledges, climbing up them with the aid of her explosive hammer, using the recoil as a boost along with aura-enhanced jumping.

"…What was that about? What's she going to do?" I asked, turning to Ren for answers

He sighed again, before answering.

"Bring the Hammer." He answered cryptically.

I just stared at him quizzically for a couple seconds, wondering, _What the hell does that mean?_

I shook my head, instead focusing on what we needed to know and do in order to kill the Nevermore, as opposed to the oddities surrounding the girl with an affinity for light violet.

"Regardless, when will she be able to ground the Nevermore?" I asked, "We need to time this right."

I had a feeling that if we didn't, the Nevermore would simply get up and fly away. Even worse, it might not fall for the same trick twice.

Unfortunately he shrugged.

"I don't really know when she'll be ready, but it'll be very obvious when she is." He answered.

I sighed loudly, "I suppose that's the best we'll get, isn't it?" I remarked.

He just gave me a small sympathizing smile while he nodded.

Shaking my head at this, I refocused again.

"So, what are we going to do when she brings it down?" I asked, trying to brainstorm a plan for how to permanently ground the Nevermore.

* * *

**Yang pov**

"WHY WON'T YOU DIE!" I roared at the giant flying Grimm.

I had been fighting it for who knows how long, I had certainly lost track of time. The entire time it was a sort of stalemate. It couldn't hit or kill me with its razor-sharp feathers, and I was in a similar position with my Ember Celica. Despite how big it was, it was flying around surprisingly fast. Even worse, the roaring winds kept throwing my shots off.

It was relatively easy when it was just hovering, but now it was almost impossible to hit the damn thing anywhere important. Even worse, my explosive slugs didn't even make a dent in its jet-black hide. The only time it actually hurt it was when I got the lucky shot in the eye. Everything else just seemed to piss it off.

I was fine with that for a while, but now I was starting to get seriously frustrated.

"COME DOWN HERE AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN YA DAMN FLYING CHICKEN!" I roared at it again.

Still, Weiss told me to piss it off, so that's what I was doing. Hopefully her and captain stoic could figure out some way to take this giant fucking bird down.

_I'm surprised that Nora's not here shooting it with me_ I thought with a tinge of disappointment.

Logically speaking, in these winds, she probably wouldn't do any real good. Still, at least she would liven things up with those big pink explosions.

_Boom!_

No sooner had I said that than did one of those large, pink, explosions detonate right in the Nevermore's face.

_Screech!_

It roared in rage. It banked away from its pursuit of me to search for the mortal who dared to challenge. I joined it, wondering what the hell took Nora so long. We didn't have to look long.

"HEY BIRDY!" She called out to it, getting its attention

Nora was standing on top of the cliff, staring down at us with a manic grin. A flash of lightning behind her went off, highlighting her silhouette.

"Why the hell is she up there?" I said to myself.

The giant Nevermore, on the other hand, didn't bother wondering why. Instead, it arced away from her, before banking back toward the cliff, but this time with a sizable lead.

_Screech!_ It challenged in a deafening cry as it charged straight at her.

I looked back at Nora suspiciously, wondering if she had a plan going here.

_Bathoom!_ The thunder from the storm echoed, setting the atmosphere for the clash.

Nora only grinned wider at the Nevermore's challenge, she only seemed to be energized by the storm raging around her. She then shifted her weapon back into hammer form, before raising the silver Maul high into the air, as if beckoning something to come forth.

And the sky answered her call with a deafening, roaring, piercing,

_ **CRACK!** _

The blast of thunder was so severe it rumbled my bones, vibrating every part of my body with its fury. The brilliant light from the flash of lightning burned my eyes, it was so bright. I flinched, no, cowered in its power and fury. But, for the instant I could see through the blinding light, I could see something incredible.

A blinding flash of lightning streaked down from the sky, arcing, twisting, and stuttering straight down to her. Like a finger from heaven, it touched her hammer, and imbued her with its blessing.

And blessed she was.

She stood tall from the lightning strike, not even the slightest bit thrown off balance from the blast. If anything she seemed…brighter, more energized. Even from this distance power just seemed to _roll_ off her. She smiled even more brilliantly than ever before as the mania radiated from her form violently.

Before, Nora seemed happy, if random. She was slightly crazy, but energetic and wild, doing whatever she felt like whenever she felt like, even if it didn't conform with what was considered "normal". She kind of seemed like a livewire, like a bolt of electricity. But now?

Now she was the force and fury of lightning given form. She was the wrath of the sky in a human body.

The Nevermore, however, didn't seem to either notice or care about it, though. Instead it continued to charge on, heading straight for the recently christened demigod. Nora, in response, backed away from the cliff a bit, disappearing over the lip.

Then she ran and leaped off the edge with tremendous force. The sheer power she put into her jump caused the edge of the cliff to loudly _CRACK_ and crater in response. It was so strong chunks of the cliff face actually broke off and fell to the ground, hitting it and breaking up with loud _CRASH_ 's.

And Nora?

She soared. She flew high up into the air, far above the Nevermore. As she reached the top of her arc she reared giant silver hammer back and roared, "IT'S HAMMER TIME!"

And with that, gravity took hold of her form once more as she descended back to the earth. But she wasn't coming alone.

The Nevermore, the stupid Grimm that it was, wasn't even able to comprehend what was happening to it, let alone respond. Never in its life had such a thing happened. Never had a mere human dared to challenge it in the skies without the aid of one of their metal machines. So stunned by the existence that was Nora, it was helpless to do more than stare at her.

She slammed into the giant Nevermore, swinging her hammer down at its face. It hit the Grimm like the Fist of God, smashing down so hard that it created an explosive shockwave with a loud

_**BOOM!** _

And with the Fist of God, Nora smacked the flying Grimm back down to earth. It was sent hurtling down like a falling star, before it slammed into the ground with another loud, explosive,

_**BOOM!** _

The blast from impact kicked up a giant dust cloud high into the air and sent another shockwave at us.

When the dust finally cleared the Nevermore was laying awkwardly in a large crater in the ground, caked with dust and covered in loose dirt.

_Is…is it dead?_ I wondered.

Then it opened three of its bright, glowing red eyes, which seemed to be filled with more fury and rage than before. It began to stir, shaking off some of the dirt from its back.

_I guess that answers that question._

"NOW!" Weiss cried out loudly from my right.

No sooner had she said that than did she fly forward with the assistance of her glyphs. Before the Nevermore could react, she reached its left wing, which was still on the ground. She raised her rapier high into the air, before stabbing down with all the force the white haired girl could muster, along with a glyph or two.

The second it speared through the Nevermore's thick, obsidian, feathered, wing, it erupted in ice. A giant wall of ice spikes shot up from the Nevermore's wing, in some places erupting _out_ of the Nevermore's wing in a small _POP_ of blood, feathers, and gore.

And with that, the Nevermore's left wing was pinned to the ground by a beautiful wall of spikes of pale blue and crimson, glimmering in the light.

_**SCREEECH!**_ The giant Nevermore roared in agony as its wing was violently torn apart and nailed to the ground with spikes of ice.

Then I saw a flash of emerald out of the corner of my eye to my left. Turning toward it I saw Ren running forward towards the Nevermore as well.

While the Nevermore was feebly trying to rip its tortured wing from the frosty nails holding it down, Ren climbed the other side of it with acrobatic skill I didn't know he had. In just a moment he was on top of the black bird, and it was his turn to do some damage.

Whipping out his machine pistol blades, he stabbed them into the shoulder of the Nevermore, eliciting another _**SCREECH**_ of pain. And then, with an almighty pull, he tore a giant gash in the shoulder of the bird, ripping a hole in its thick, obsidian hide.

The Nevermore started violently bucking, trying to knock him off, doing whatever it could to survive. Ren, in response, stabbed one of his machine blades back into the shoulder of the Grimm, using it as an anchor.

With the other machine pistol, he stuck it into the giant gash in the bird's shoulder, and fired into the muscle, bone, and tendon holding it's wing to its body. With each _POP_ another small explosion of blood flew out from its shoulder, and its wing twitched violently.

The whole time the Nevermore is screeching in agony as its slowly torn apart, piece by piece.

Finally, its right wing goes limp, falling to the ground. Now it was simply held in place by the skin and remaining muscle. It would never be able to use it again.

His work done, Ren jumped off the obsidian beast and landed on the ground in a crouch. His emerald clothes were stained with blood spatter from the Grimm, but he didn't seem to mind.

Instead, he looked to me.

"YANG!" Weiss called out to me over the agonizing screeches of the dying Grimm, the sound of thunder in the distance, and the roaring wind.

I turned to her with a bewildered and questioning look. In just a handful of seconds, these three had turned a once fearsome, ancient, and deadly Grimm into a beaten and broken shell of its once majestic form.

"FINISH IT!" She said to me.

And with those two words, a savage grin grew on my face.

_That, I can do_.

Reloading my gauntlets, I slammed them together as I flared my Aura again, wreathing me in my golden flames.

Without wasting another word, I surged forward to the white masked face of the Nevermore.

One wing had been torn apart at the shoulder, the other was pinned to the ground by a series of icy nails. The Grimm's mask was already cracked and one eye broken and bleeding from when it was smacked out of the sky.

And I was going to finish the job.

When I reached its face, I lead in with a punch thrown forward with my whole body behind it, eliciting another large _CRACK!_

It head was thrown back violently, but the mask held. It screeched again in pain, but was helpless to do anything about it. When its head snapped back down to my reach, I jumped on top of its head, using one hand to grab onto the white spike coming out of the back of its head for support.

Now that I was stabilized, I was free to let loose, and let loose I did.

_Bang! CRACK!_

_Bang! CRACK!_

_Bang! CRACK!_

Each punch was thrown forward with all the force I could muster, and punctuated by the _Bang_ _!_ From my Ember Celica triggering in its face, and the _CRACK!_ As its mask began to loudly fall apart from my onslaught.

The whole time the Grimm cried out, in either rage, agony, or terror. It tried with all its might to throw me off, to get me away from it, to save itself, but it did it no good. I just held on tighter and punched harder.

It cries of agony were like music to my ears, fueling the fire in my soul.

Finally, with one last almighty _**CRACK!**_ I punched through shattered its mask.

Before it even had time to blink I released its spike, jumped up in the air, and slammed back down, fist first. My fist punched through its thick, obsidian, hide, but was stopped by its thick skull. Didn't matter, that was the plan after all.

Now, with a fist wrist deep into its face, it was really panicking. As it thrashed its head in agony, I triggered my gauntlets, unloading round after round of explosive slugs _inside_ its head. Each shot was punctuated with a subdued _pop_ as the pressure inside its face was increased. It gave one last pained _**SCREECH**!_ before the pressure was finally released.

_ **BOOM!** _

Finally, its head exploded, sending me flying off the Grimm covered in crimson, wet, gore. I landed several yards away on my back, staring into the sky with a satisfied grin on my face.

After basking in the glory of my kill for a second, I used my legs to flip myself back up.

Were there once stood a mighty, majestic, deadly Grimm, now lay a tortured and disassembled creature. It's face had exploded under the pressure of my exploding slugs, leaving a partial skull covered in blood, muscle, and gore.

It would evaporate soon enough, but for now the dead beast lay dead in the crater. As I beamed at my handiwork, Weiss walked up to me.

She cleared her throat to get my attention.

"What is it princess?" I asked, turning to her with a beaming smile on my face.

"I would just like to say…good work." She began to thank me.

"Thanks to you keeping it distracted we were able to come up with a plan. Without you, we wouldn't have been able to do this. Also…good work on finishing it off." She finished with an extended hand, looking somewhat uncomfortable but pushing past.

_Wow, the ice princess is actually thanking me…_

… _I must take advantage of this_ I thought, my smile getting even brighter, but now tinged with mischief.

Abusing her offered hand, I pulled her in for a tight hug, one she was _not_ prepared for.

"Come on now, princess, don't be like that!" I cheerfully spoke to her, still high on the thrill of victory.

"Stop it you stupid blond oaf!" She cried out indignantly, blushing fiercely.

"Oh, but Princess, we just killed a giant monster bird together! We deserve a team hug for our first major victory!" I giggle in response.

"Stop it! You're getting blood all over my dress!" She complained.

"I'm just sharing our _soaring_ success!" I chirped back.

"Now you're getting your stupid on me!" She fumed.

"All according to plan!" I replied

"Yang." Came a calm, flat voice from behind me.

My mind came to an abrupt and total halt with that one word. The flat, placid, way he said reminded me of my missing sister. If it wasn't for his baritone voice, I would have thought it was her.

As it was, the reminder was still enough to shock me out of my euphoria. Still, I was able to hold onto my façade enough to calmly release Weiss, instead of freaking out completely

"Sorry Ren, I guess I just got caught up in the victory." I apologized with a guilty smile, trying hide the fact my mind was brutally criticizing me for daring to feel happy while my sister suffered.

_How dare you forget her?_ That little voice in the back of my mind said, judging me.

And it was right. Once again, even if it was only for a second, I completely forgot about her. She's probably out there, cold, scared, and alone, and here I am, at school, having fun with my new friends.

_I guess I am scum_ I thought guiltily

But, I'd never let them see that side of me. The side that regrets everything I've done, and only wants to see her lost baby sister come home safe. To see her smile that old, sweet, smile one more time.

"How do you do that?" Weiss asked, still blushing from the unwanted contact and trying to wipe the Grimm's remains off her.

Ren just shrugged helplessly in response, unable to give an answer.

A few seconds ago, I might have actually been able to get some joy out of that exchange. As it was I had to give a hollow, fake, chuckle.

Fortunately I had lots of practice with my façade.

"Well, I bet it's cause of all the practice he gets with Nora, isn't that right lady-killer?" I asked, keeping up the teasing act.

Ren, in return, just stared at me with a raised brow. All he need was to tilt his _damn_ head, and he'd be spitting image of my twisted sister. Another reminder of my failings.

In an attempt to seek sweet relief from my guilt, I looked to Nora, hoping to find a blush, a pout, _anything_.

Instead, I saw her staring at the skies behind us, looking at the dark clouds quizzically.

Then she pulled out her silver hammer, grinned manically, and cried, "BIRDIES!"

I turned to see what she was talking about…

And was horrified by what I saw.

_**SCREECH!** _

_**SCREECH!** _

_**SCREE-SCREECH!** _

There, hovering in the sky, was a whole _flock_ of the damned birds. They looked smaller than the giant one we had just killed, but there was at least seven of the fucking things.

If _one_ took all four of us working together to kill, how could we hope to take out seven of them? Even if they were smaller, it wasn't by much. Even worse, their obsidian bodies were hard to see against the darkened skies, the winds had picked up even more, and it was beginning to hail on us.

The tiny balls of ice fell, about the size of a marble each. With our Aura, they weren't enough to hurt, but they were annoying, and combined with everything else it would be enough to severely hamper our ability to fight back.

The only thing in our favor was the fact it looked like they were having a difficult time staying still in the air. It seemed that with the rising winds, it became more difficult for them to control themselves. If they were normal birds, that would have been enough to deter them.

But they weren't normal birds, they were Grimm, and Grimm were driven by hate and hunger. Young ones held no care for their own safety, they were only driven by their base desires with no sense of survival instinct. They didn't care if they died, so long as they got the chance to kill us, to eat us.

Such was the existence of the Grimm.

And that lack of a survival instinct was one thing that made them so terrible. They felt no fear, they couldn't be scared away. You had to kill them to the last in order to win, making every fight long and dragged out. It meant that you couldn't ward them away with simple show of force, you had to keep killing them, over and over.

And it meant in the middle of a terrible storm that would tear them apart out in the open, they would rather come out to try and kill us than go hide in safety. It meant that after seeing the largest of their own taken down, they didn't even falter, instead it only whet their appetite.

"Princess, any ideas?" I asked, reloading my gauntlets one last time. I had no more ammunition left, this was it.

Weiss glanced at me, "Just…they're smaller than the giant one, so they're probably weaker too. They might be vulnerable to your explosives."

She was trying to hide it, but she was scared. I couldn't really blame her, though. Why wouldn't she be?

"I only have one clip left, and I can't promise how good my aim will be in this storm." I answered with a grim look.

"That's…a problem." She grimaced.

"Nora?" She asked, turning to the orange haired girl in question.

"Sorry, I'm out." She replied with a guilty smile

"Great." Ren sighed, holding up his machine pistol blades. "I only have two magazines left for my Stormflowers."

"Well, I guess we can all die together then!" I said with false cheer, using a bit of gallows humor.

Weiss in response just grit her teeth, and tried to push past the fear to find a solution.

Meanwhile, the Nevermores just looked at us hungrily, before one decided to start the party. It flew toward us, squawking loudly at us.

Then, out of nowhere, something flew overhead us and speared the Grimm in the chest. It looked like a large spear made of ice. I glanced at Weiss, wondering if she did it, but she looked just as stunned as I did.

As the impaled Nevermore screeched loudly in pain and surprise, it began to fall to its death, blood pouring from the wound, its wingbeats getting slower and weaker with each beat. As the others squawked in surprise they began to spread out.

Not that it did them any good.

One got speared with another lance of ice, and another got shards of ice shot into its eyes, blinding it. Soon enough both crashed into the ground, one from death, the other from pain. The blinded one, still screeching loudly in agony, was soon silenced as a large mass of ice balls swarmed its head before crushing it with a wet, bloody, crunchy, _POP_.

Yet another one got hit with a storm of the ice balls, each one flying fast enough to tear it apart, as if each was a bullet from a machine gun. Finally I turned around to see what, or who, it was that saved us, as did the others.

And to our surprise, we saw Ms. Goodwitch standing on the edge of the cliff, using her riding crop like a conductor's baton, commanding an army of hail to her will.

Each stroke of her crop sent a new variety of icy death towards the Grimm, and each one died a bloody death, screeching all the way to a crimson oblivion.

When it was done, all the hail she used simply fell to the ground. She let out a brief breath of either relief or exhaustion, before jumping down the cliff. She landed from the 40 ft drop like it was little more than step, with that elegance and grace she always exuded.

She walked up to us, her eyes constantly darting left in right. She both took in our forms and various states, while she also kept a lookout for incoming Grimm. Finally, she reached our awestruck forms.

"I'm glad to see you are all in one piece." She said, relief evident in her voice.

"Ms. Goodwitch, what are you doing here?" Weiss asked, the first one to break out of her awestruck stupor.

In response, Ms. Goodwitch frowned, "Did you think I would leave you children to fight for your lives? That I would simply watch as you fought and died?" She asked, almost insulted

"Er, no, it's just…" Weiss trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"She's just surprised to see you here." Ren said, saving her.

Ms. Goodwitch took a moment to readjust her glasses and brush her golden hair out of her eyes.

"I suppose that's understandable. Regardless, I spotted this flock of Nevermore coming from the cliff, and I couldn't just stand by and watch you get torn apart by the beasts." She responded.

"Still…I must commend you on your work taking down the leader of the flock, it was quite the accomplishment for a team of freshmen such as yourselves." She congratulated, her face softening ever so slightly.

"Yea, we're not garbage." I cheered without any real feeling behind it.

In response, she glared lightly at me, which quickly shut me up.

"In any case, the Bullhead should be here in a few minutes. Until then, we need to hold this position." She explained.

"W-where's Professor Ozpin?" Weiss said, slightly nervous under the gaze of her headmistress.

"He is…" She began before sighing.

"Unfortunately he had to head back to the school. Right now every teacher is on their way here, leaving the school mostly unattended. Professor Ozpin is going back to ensure the safety and order of the students there." She said tiredly.

" _Every_ teacher?" Weiss questioned, speechless.

"All the able-bodied one, yes. In fact Professor Ozpin actually enlisted the aid of the V.A.F. to assist us in evacuating students." She explained

Then, for an instant, she seemed to tighten up about something, before releasing a breath, and relaxing once more.

"Once the Bullheads get here, I want you four on the first one out." She ordered.

"But!" I began to protest, wanting to say we could still fight.

I didn't want to run away when we could still help out.

"No, you are still _children_ , not technically even students yet. You are tired and running low on ammunition and Aura. You _will_ be on the first Bullhead out of here, and that is final." She commanded sternly, glowering at us.

Pushed into submission by her steely gaze, all we could say in response was, "Yes ma'am."

"Good, I don't want to see any of you hurt because you tried to play hero. Leave this to the teachers, it's our job after all." She said, her gaze softening.

We nodded numbly in response, unable to truly argue with her.

"Now then, I believe we have company." She said, directing her gaze behind us.

As we turned we were met with the sight of several Beowolves, Ursai, and Boarbatusks gazing at us hungrily.

"Well then, why don't we give them a _warm_ welcome." I said as I let my blazing Aura flare again.

"You're going to make me dumber just by being around me, I know it." Weiss retorted with a frown as she got into a fencing stance.

"You know you love me." I responded cheekily with a grin, a comment that earned me a glare from the heiress.

"I love you!" Nora screamed with a manic grin

"Thanks!" I answered with a grin.

This time it earned me a dark scowl from Nora.

"Not _you_." She seethed at me before turning to her hammer, "Magnhild!" she cried, rubbing it against her face.

"I…what?" I remarked, trying to process this.

"Just don't." Ren answered, readying his machine pistol blades

"It's hard not to." I responded, my face scrunched in confusion.

"Children." Ms. Goodwitch chastised us.

"Sorry." We all muttered, though it was more of a formality than anything else.

And with that word, the Grimm charged us, rushing us with that hunger filled suicidal fury only the Grimm possess.

Still, as we prepared to meet them, I couldn't help but think one, traitorous, selfish, thought.

_Hopefully, for one moment, I can forget again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ever since I saw what Nora's semblance was in Volume 3 I couldn't wait to write supercharged Nora bitch smacking a Nevermore into the ground.
> 
> But yeah, that's team WYVR's fight.
> 
> Next time, team ANBL gets there's
> 
> Also, we got to see Ms. Goodwitch fight a bit
> 
> Don't often see that.
> 
> Also, I'm really trying to convey that during this whole time there's super intense and awesome storm going on. Am I conveying that? I'd really like to know.
> 
> Also, do you think this story is worth a M rating so far? Because, frankly, I realized that except for gore, its actually not that bad.
> 
> In addition, said gore is exclusive to Grimm, so its not as bad.
> 
> I thought I'd have, like, four times as much cursing in here.
> 
> And as for sex...yeah...that's probably not happening anytime soon.
> 
> At the very least it's not in the outline I have right now.
> 
> But who knows?
> 
> Maybe Nora'll surprise me and rape someone.


	14. Scene 14: The Red Girl Dies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second part of the final arc. After Team WYVR's victory, we now turn to team ANBL as they are tested.

**? pov**

_That looks real bad_ I thought as I looked up to the sky.

The dark grey clouds hung there, spinning slowly as they prepared to unleash their wrath upon the land. Apparently they had upgraded the alert from a simple Tornado Watch, to a Tornado Warning, which meant the formation of a funnel was imminent.

The loud rumble of an engine's startup shook me out of my thoughts.

I turned back around as I watched the airfield fill with movement and purpose

Ground crew were working left and right, prepping the birds for launch. Already the first wave of Bullhead transports and Cardinal gunships were ready to take off.

I let out a breath of air as I regained my bearings. I took in my last breath of fresh, clean, air, before I put on my hermetically sealed helmet. As I placed the armored helmet on my head, my world became enveloped in darkness.

I could hear the loud _Hiss_ as the seals locked into place, and the internal ventilation and life support kicked in. Then the camera/display system kicked in once more, and a screen showing the world around me, along with my HUD, came up.

I felt the red and black assault rifle in my hands, checking once more to make sure it was all prepped and ready to go, that not a single piece was out of place. I then felt for the black axe on my back, as well as the sawed-off shotgun on the small of my back, making sure they still there. Each one was loaded with fire Dust for extra effect on target.

My HUD quickly incorporated each weapon into itself, displaying everything I would need to know about them, though not crowding my screen with the information.

I breathed in that stale, perfectly balanced, air into me, and focused on the task at hand.

I walked up to the large black Bullhead with a shark mouth painted on the nose, a chin-mounted chain gun, and a set of auto cannons on either side. The large gimbaling engines on the end of either wing were rumbling loudly as the craft woke from its slumber. They sent out low-level blasts of hot air from their glowing orange exhausts.

The bay doors were open, and sitting inside two other men in slightly different sets of armor. Each set had silver, non-reflective, plates of armor on top of a matte-black under-suit. The helmet was angled and aggressive, completely concealing the user's face. In place of eyes, two glowing electric blue lights were placed, purely for intimidation purposes.

In the event of a stealth op, they could be turned off and on at will. While they were on, however, they gave the wearer in intimidating piercing blue gaze. All combined they somewhat resembled old style knights in armor, but with a cybernetic twist.

The man on the left was wearing lighter armor, having it resemble chain mail more than plate armor, though he still kept the silver helmet. He had a medium sized black rifle in his hand, a silver sword sheathed by his left side, a silver dagger sheathed on his right, as well as several silver rods strapped to his chest. Each weapon had a glowing blue energy cell attached to them.

On top of all that was a Lincoln green reflective cloak with a hood. Right now, it wasn't very stealthy, and was in fact rather shiny and stood out like a sore thumb. When he turned it on, however, it became a photo-reactive cloak. It wasn't true invisibility, more like enhanced adaptive camouflage.

The man on the right, however, was wearing a heavy variant of the plate armor. He had a large black Warhammer with a flat head that was glowing white on one side, and on the other a large, narrow, curved hook for penetrating armor, also glowing white. He had a bandolier of ammunition wrapped around his chest, along with several grenades and demo packs on him.

Attached to a sling around his chest, and lazily held in his right hand, was a large silver machine gun. It had a long barrel with a large shroud covering it, along with several heat vents. The large box magazine attached to the beast had a glowing white symbol on it, indicating the Dust being used.

Each one was just lazily waiting for me in the troop bay of the craft.

"Robin." I said, nodding to the man on my left.

"Jack." He replied, a grin audible on his voice

"Ymir." I said to the giant on my right.

"Riesentöter." He cordially responded with my last name in a thick Atlesian accent

And with introductions over, I waited inside with them. We would be taking in another squad of regular soldier before we took off. In the meantime, I decide to talk with them about the mission.

"So, you guys read the report?" I asked. Technically, they were supposed to, but if I knew Robin, he was too lazy to.

"Eh, not really. I saw that it was more than 2 pages, and said 'Fuck that shit'." He responded, voicing his smile with his tone.

I sighed, realizing that he would always be the same. That said…

"It's not like you read it either." He teased.

"True enough." I replied with a shrug.

"For the same damn reasons too, probably." He added.

"Yeah." I sighed

"From what I heard we only got the request a few minutes ago, how the hell they managed to pull a multi-page report out of their asses in that time, I'll never know." I complained to him.

"I hear you, brother. Besides, why read the report when we can just listen to gossip." He agreed.

"Yeah, and that's what we have Ymir for. Right Ymir?" I stated, turning to the quiet giant.

He groaned loudly at how lazy we were.

"Alright, how much do you already know?" He asked.

He sounded irritated, but that's how he was. Honestly, he was almost as lazy as us, he just didn't mind reading and doing paperwork. It was weird, but it let us give all the boring work to him.

"All I know is that some pansy ass huntsmen need us to hold their hands or something." I remarked.

"Sherwood?" He asked, turning to Robin, referring to him by his last name

"Apparently, since a Tornado has been all but confirmed to be incoming, some huntsmen are in trouble out in the Emerald Forest, where the Tornado's projected to touchdown." Robin answered.

He nodded in response, taking our answers in, before he spoke.

"You're both somewhat correct, but fatally off the mark." He responded.

"What do you mean?" Robin asked, now intrigued.

"What day is today?" Ymir asked us

Robin and I looked at each other quizzically, wondering where he could be going with this. After thinking about it for a couple seconds, I couldn't figure out an answer.

"I dunna know." I said back with a shrug.

"Okay, what's near the Emerald Forest, something that is critical to the Huntsmen?" He asked, changing questions.

"Beacon? The hell does that have to do with anything?" I asked, frowning.

"Oh, shit." Robin cursed, apparently he figured it out

"What is it?" I asked turning to him, concerned.

"Today's the Initiation day for the new incoming freshmen of Beacon. During Initiation they go out into the Emerald Forest and kill Grimm and shit." He answered

"Wait, there are _kids_ out there?" I asked, incredulous.

"Yup. The storm came out of nowhere, and now they're looking at a massacre of children if they can't evacuate them in time." Ymir answered.

At first, I was reticent about going. I didn't like Huntsmen much. I knew they were necessary, so I didn't complain _too_ much, but the fact was, Huntsman were little more than mercenaries with super-powers and incredibly deadly weapons.

A civilian didn't have a hope in hell of fighting of a Huntsmen, even if the Huntsmen was unarmed. Hell, most people, soldiers and police officers included, didn't have a chance in hell. And after StarFall, it became very apparent that these Huntsmen had little to no oversight. They could do whatever the hell they wanted, and it would take another Huntsmen to stop them.

But these were kids, dammit. They weren't technically Huntsmen yet. They probably just wanted to go to Beacon to become heroes, not realizing what being a Huntsmen actually meant.

"Well…shit." Was all I could say.

"I'm willing to bet the two of you don't feel like leaving them now, do you?" Ymir asked, gazing into the two of us with the electric blue "eyes" of his helmet.

"Hell no." I responded with steely determination.

"Fuck that, Huntsmen or not, they're just fucking kids." Robin said with me.

"Good, I know how you two can get about Huntsmen." Ymir said approvingly in his gravelly voice.

Before we could utter another word, a squad of soldier in their armor and guns came up to our Bullhead.

"Hey, you guy's Watchmen?" One asked, awestruck by being in the presence of one of only four Watchmen squads in the entire Kingdom.

"Damn straight, you riddi'n with us soldiers?" I answered, looking over them all.

Some looked somewhat awestruck by us, but others seemed more concerned about what was going to happen in the next hour. I couldn't really blame them too much. After all, we had just been told there was a Tornado landing in the Emerald Forest, and we were going there to help some Huntsmen out there.

"Y-yes sir!" The one who asked replied, snapping a salute to me.

I just looked at him oddly.

"You do know we're not technically military, right?" I asked.

"Hey, don't stop him. How often do we get fanboy salutes?" Robin remarked, slapping my arm.

"How often do we get to make people feel stupid?" I shot back.

At that he snapped his finger in agreement with me.

"Good point." He said with a nod

Ymir just looked at the two of us being brothers-in-stupid before turning towards the soldiers standing outside.

"Ignore them, get in." He said, his rough, accented voice along with the armor intimidating the soldiers.

Without another word, all five soldiers got into the bay. There was technically supposed to be enough room for about 12 people, if standing. As it was, with our equipment, and considering we were sitting down, there was only just enough room for us. The soldiers had to stand, but hey, that's what they get for being last.

Once the last one stepped inside and got situated, I banged on the wall separating us from the cockpit behind me twice, signaling that we were good to go.

Without another word, the engines went from rumbling, to roaring loudly. The orange glow coming from the exhaust increased as the massive backwash grew high and higher. Around me I saw several other Bullhead joining us, creating a symphony of sound.

Soon, the power of the twin Whatt and Pritney F135 PW 600 Dust engine overcame the will of gravity, and the craft began to rise. The doors closed as it began to take off, and the force of the engines shook the entire craft.

I could hear the whirring of the motors in the wings as they caused the engines to pivot, as the Bullhead slowly began to shift from hovering, to flying. I felt the G forces trying to pull me forwards as we accelerated towards the Forest. As we speed towards the forest, many thoughts crossed my mind, but I pushed one to the forefront.

_Here we go, into the storm._

* * *

**Ruby pov**

_I think I hate Lucifer._ I grumbled to myself.

If it wasn't for him, none of this would be happening. Of course, if it wasn't for Lucifer I probably wouldn't be here right now, so I logically shouldn't be complaining. That being said, right now I had a massive migraine, so I didn't feel like dealing with logic's problems.

And having a migraine, while bad, wouldn't be too bad an experience compared to some of the things I had suffered in the past, I could have pushed past it. Having a migraine in Grimm infested forest during a _Thunderstorm_ on the other hand, was a nightmare.

Every flash of light, every crack of thunder, was another detonation of nuclear fire inside my mind. Worse still, unlike most forms of pain, I wasn't numb to it, nor could I dissociate myself from it. The pain crackles just outside the core of my being, and pollutes my body with its sickness.

Still, I do what I can. I've felt pain on this level and beyond before. This pain didn't break my mind, it simply injured it. While irritating, it wasn't crippling. While it was agonizing, it was tinged with no fear, just annoyance and irritation.

Irritation fanned by the fools I had surrounded myself with. I suppose they weren't actually fools, except perhaps, one of them, but in this state of mind, anyone I didn't care about was an idiot, and potentially expendable.

Still, though, I have to say it's been quite a while since I've felt this much. It's revitalizing, in a way, really. It helps remind me, in some small way, that I'm still me.

That being said, this migraine would make everything significantly harder. There honestly wasn't much I could do with this active interference. My options were severely limited, at least, if I didn't want to worsen my condition.

Breaking me out of my thoughts, my partner spoke to me.

"So…Lilith…what…what was it you did back there?" She asked nervously, worried about annoying me, or scaring me away. It was difficult to tell right now.

"What do you mean?" I manage with a frown to say through grit teeth.

 _I'm not in the mood for your games, Pyrrha._ I think angrily, though I manage to hold my tongue with ease.

"Er, well…." She begins before trailing off, glancing away.

"What were you doing with that Grimm?" Blake asked, speaking up for Pyrrha.

"Yeah, what Blake said." Pyrrha agreed with a nod and concerned emerald eyes.

 _I knew I shouldn't have done that._ I chastised myself.

"I wanted to learn some things from it," I answered, too annoyed and in too much pain to even bother to think of lying, let alone come up with a good one.

"Yo-what?" Jaune asked, his brow rising up incredulously as his eyes widened slightly.

"Are you saying you asked the Grimm a question?" Blake frowned.

"I didn't _ask_ it anything," I answered through the pain in my head, quickly tiring of this.

I just wanted to walk through the woods in peace and quiet. Considering all the Grimm, that probably wasn't going to happen, but that's what I had my "teammates" for.

"Wait, what?" Pyrrha asked her face twisting in concern and confusion. Something the others shared.

I ignored them, no longer feeling like suffering their questions. More importantly, I vaguely felt something coming from my left. While I walked, I glanced in that direction. I tried to discern if anything was there through the thick foliage in the way. Unfortunately, the dark shadows cast by the trees, along with the overcast skies made that nearly impossible.

 _Curious_ I thought with a raised brow. Considering my migraine, I shouldn't be able to detect much of anything. In order for me to feel it, it must have a massive presence.

So massive, I wasn't the only one who noticed it.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Blake stop, before looking into the forest with narrowed eyes. An action that Jaune noticed.

"What is it, Blake?" He asked curiously.

"I…think…something's coming." She said slowly, not sure of herself, or whatever it was that was approaching.

No sooner had she said that, than did I begin to feel small tremors.

"Maybe we should run." Jaune suggested nervously.

Wasting little time and quickly acting on his advice, we turned and ran through the dark, shrouded woods. As we ran, whatever it was kept up with us. The tremors got more violent, and closer together. Then I began to hear the sound of something smashing through trees behind us.

Then, the smashing began to quiet down, and the tremors weaken.

"I think it's leaving!" Jaune shouted over the sound of the howling winds.

"Shut up Jaune!" Blake said, glaring at him hard enough to hear it in her voice.

Soon, the tremors were gone completely, it was as if it had actually left us. Something which was immediately suspicious.

 _Grimm don't run from a fight, not unless they found something more appetizing instead._ I thought, narrowing my eyes.

Then the other possibility crossed my mind, _Or, if they're old_.

Those thoughts, however, left my mind as I saw what was up ahead. The ground sloped down into a bank, and then a dried up river bed. On the other side of the river bed, however, was a small cliff. It was large enough to be an obstacle to us.

This appeared to be a bend in the old river, with this side being the part that the river wore away more. To our left and right the river curved away from us.

"Well, Shit." Jaune cursed.

"Which way do we go?" He asked.

"We could jump over the ridge," Pyrrha suggested.

"No." Jaune and I both declined at the same time, which earned me an odd look from the boy.

"Why not? It wouldn't be too hard." Blake asked with a raised brow.

Honestly, I didn't feel like. Behind that, there was a lot of logic and tactical reasons as for why not, but the biggest reason was because my head hurt, I was tired, and I didn't feel like.

Still, they didn't need to know that.

"Climbing up the ridge will take too much time," I argued, using one of my many reasons.

"And, it'd be easier for us to fight in this open area, rather than in the thickly wooded forest." Jaune added.

Now it was my turn to give him an odd look. While he wasn't _totally_ wrong, he wasn't as correct as he thought he was.

"Well, the left side _does_ turn towards the evac zone. I suppose we could walk down it." Blake admitted, slowly coming over to our side as she put a hand up to her mouth in consideration.

Pyrrha sighed, realizing that she was outnumbered now, and it would be faster to just go with it than argue anymore.

"Alright, I guess we can take the river bed." She relented, waving her hand to the left.

So, take the river bed we did. As we walked, the river bed eventually deepened, turning into sort of small ravine or valley, while continuing to head in the same basic direction of the evac point.

Then a buzzing coming from our scrolls alerted us to another message. I didn't bother to take mine out, I knew that one of the others would inevitably vocalize what they sent. We didn't bother stopping while they took out their scrolls, seeing as we had little time to waste standing around.

"They've upgraded the storm warning from Tornado Watch, to a Warning." Pyrrha said, concerned but her face holding a question.

"What does that mean?" She asked, looking up from her scroll.

I heard Blake curse under her breath, and I could practically _feel_ the fear radiating off Jaune.

I myself looked up in the sky, and could now see the funnel definitely forming from the clouds above.

"It means that we're running out of time," Blake answered with a grimace.

She was right, it would probably fully form in under 30 minutes. We didn't have much time to get back.

"We can't outrun a Tornado, not on foot," Jaune added fearfully.

Not if we were unlucky. Technically, it could be heading in the opposite direction as us, be very slow, small, or weak. But, if we were unlucky, it would be a fierce twister lasting for nearly ten minutes, and moving at a little over 100 mph.

And knowing a certain someone, we would be _very_ unlucky.

And with that Pyrrha got a determined look on her face.

"Well then, I guess we'll just have to hurry then." She responded with steeled confidence.

No sooner had she said that than did I feel that same sensation as earlier. Along with me, I could feel Blake twitch in reaction to the presence.

"Guys I think I he-" She began to warn them, but she didn't get the chance.

_**CRASH!** _

The shadowy beast smashed through the tree line to our left, jumping down from the ridge. It almost landed on top of us. In an effort to dodge, Blake and Pyrrha rolled forward. Jaune, trying to protect me, instinctively pulled me back away from it.

It landed with a resounding _THUD!_ Kicking up a large cloud of dust, and sending a tremor through the ground from the impact.

When the dust cleared, standing in the middle of a small crater was very old, very large, and very hungry, Death Stalker.

The little ravine we had found ourselves in wasn't terribly wide. It had enough room to move around comfortably, but it could easily block any attempt to run past it.

Meaning, in order to proceed onwards, we would need to kill it.

I frowned.

_I really, really, hate you, Lucifer_

* * *

**Pyrrha pov**

Scarlet.

That's what my existence was filled with.

When we had gotten the alert about the Tornado, I felt the pressure in my head grow. It was still there, slowly increasing. But, with the added stress of outrunning the wrath of the sky itself, I felt it redouble its efforts to crush me.

Still, I pushed past it. I felt like it was up to me, in a way, to save my team. I suppose I could rely on Blake too, if I had to, but I never really was one for teams or partners. It's always only been up to me, for as long as I can remember. Whenever it came down to it, whenever I had to fight, there was no one I could rely on for support.

So, I wasn't even sure _how_ to rely on Blake, nor any of the others. So, I felt like it was all up to me. Sure, the idea of getting all of us through the storm and a Grimm infested forest seemed daunting, but I would do it.

I wouldn't let the stress get to me. I would not fail, and I would not crumble.

Then the Death Stalker landed in front of us.

It was old, if the scars and moss on its armor were anything to go by. It probably knew the layout of this forest better than us, having lived here for, perhaps, centuries.

That's probably how it cornered us, it knew where we were going and the fastest way to cut us off, that's why it broke off pursuit earlier. That meant it was smart, _very_ smart, which was not a good sign.

But none of that was the worst part for me. They were bad, but I could overcome them. What was bad, was that it reminded me of my dream. It reminded me of the Death Stalker in my nightmare that picked me up by its claw, crushed me, and defeated me.

It reminded me of my death.

That memory, that reminder, was the last nail in the coffin. It was the final _push_ needed. The walls in my mind were already fit to burst under the pressure of trying to save all of us, of trying to outrun a storm, of trying to survive in Grimm infested forest, of trying to make friends, of trying to be a nice, normal girl, and most of all, of trying not to fail.

So, when I was reminded of my gruesome death, of my failure, of my loss, the pressure in my mind _exploded_.

The walls fell apart, crumbling under its weight, and a torrent of scarlet came flooding in from all sides, overwhelming me. In that moment, I remembered _everything_.

They say just before you die, your life flashes before your eyes.

Well, I _felt_ mine.

My entire life, my entire _existence_ passed through my body. I felt every cut, every gash, every bruise and broken bone again. I smelled every scent of blood, shit, perfume, and dirt again. I could taste, everything I've ever had in my mouth, flesh, blood, water, salad, and so much more. I could hear, every scream, every cry of triumph, every applause, and every disappointment.

I experienced every single moment of my life, all over again, from birth to now, in the span of a few seconds. I remembered everything I had been, could be, and was. I recalled that which was my existence, and that which made me, me.

And my existence was filled with red.

A flood of crimson filled my mind, pushing everything else out. I could do nothing right now, I couldn't even breath. I couldn't even feel the world around me. Everything was crimson, everything was wet, was iron, was thick, was muffling. It was suffocating me, drowning me, and I could nothing about it.

I was a prisoner in my own mind.

* * *

**Jaune Pov**

_This…this is really fucking bad._ I thought fearfully.

Pyrrha was on the other side of the Death Stalker with Blake, and she was having…I don't know, some kind of panic attack? I couldn't really tell from here. She was on her knees clutching her head as if it was in agony.

Blake looked like she didn't really know what to do about it. I really couldn't blame her, I was terrified, after all.

I mean, we had just learned that if we didn't hurry up and get out of here, we would all probably die to a tornado, something we couldn't hope to defend against. Now, the only thing in our way, other than distance, was the easily the biggest, toughest, and meanest Grimm I had ever seen.

It was huge, nearly the size of a small house. It was also deadly, with those huge claws and glowing stinger. Worst of all, right now at least, was that it was heavily armored, if those thick, scarred plates of armor were anything to go by.

 _I don't even know how to **begin** to take something like that down, and now we have to do it before the sky kills us all._ I thought, panicking inside.

Even worse, our best fighter, Pyrrha, was having some sort of breakdown. As much as I wanted to help and comfort her, there was a massive Death Stalker in my path, and a deadly tornado on the way. Something that we could really use her help with.

I looked to Blake, hoping she had some kind of plan, desperately clinging to the hope that one of them could get us out of this.

She was holding her weapons out defensively, her eyes darting across the Death Stalker's form, taking everything about it in. She was standing close to Pyrrha with a determined, if concerned, frown on her face. As far away as she was, I could see her mind racing through her eyes.

A twitch of movement out of the corner of my eye, matched by several tremors, shook me out of my thoughts.

Finally, it seemed the Death Stalker had decided to stop staring at us and do something. It turned from me and Lilith, instead looking towards Blake and Pyrrha. I could see Blake tense up, turning her head to shout at Pyrrha, but over these roaring winds I couldn't hear her.

So, as the Death Stalker loudly screeched at them, Pyrrha just sat there, kneeling in pain. As it crawled up to the two of them, she did nothing.

Blake tried to distract it with her gun, shooting it in the face, but it ignored them. The bullets just pinged off its armor, no more than a minor annoyance. Worse still, it saw that one of its targets was vulnerable.

It walked up to her, the whole time Blake kept screaming her name, trying to get her to move, to fight, to do something other than just sit there and die. Tiring of Blake's interference, it swatted its claw at her, as if to shoo her away. She easily dodged it, but it forced her to move out of the way of its real target.

Continuing to ignore Blake's attempts to distract, it simply lumbered over to the scarlet haired girl until it loomed over her. Despite having the alabaster scorpion hovering over her, Pyrrha just sat there, clutching her head and squeezing her eyes closed shut in unseen agony.

After appraising her for a second, it decided to strike.

It slammed a massive claw into her side, sending her flying into the rocky ridge to the right of the ravine. She crashed into it hard enough to crack the wall, but still, she wasn't roused from her agony. The Death Stalker quickly made its way to where she lay, ignoring Blake's efforts to distract it.

The whole time I just stood there, looking at the scene in horror. I wanted to help, I wanted to save her, but I didn't know _how_. Blake, who _had_ combat training, was hacking and slashing at it left and right, trying to get its attention. She tried to shoot it in-between the plates to anger it. Anything.

But nothing worked. The Death Stalker was dead set on finishing its target. So if Blake couldn't even get it to even _glance_ at her, what good would I be? What could I possibly do?

 _Think dammit! It's going to kill her if you just stand there! You have to do something!_ I thought, anger flaring at my own helplessness

I tried to think of something I could do, but every time I tried to _begin_ to think of a plan, my terror and panic overwhelmed my mind. Just like that nightmare, I felt my flame of courage sputter and die. However, whereas before it was simply consumed by fear, now it was snuffed out by despair.

Every time I tried to think of something, my subconscious just told me one thing.

 _You're all going to die here_.

That one idea, that one concept, that one realization polluted every thought, every concept, and every dream I had.

I came here, to Beacon, to learn how to be a Huntsman, a hero, because I was tired of being weak. I didn't want to have anything like what happened to Alice ever happen again.

And yet…

Here it was, and once again I couldn't do a _fucking_ thing to stop it. I couldn't do anything _goddamn_ thing to save her. I couldn't do a _damn_ thing to save any of us.

The Death Stalker, not waiting for us to come up with any other plans walked over to where Pyrrha landed. Blake, in an attempt to save the girl, ran towards the white scorpion once more from behind it.

She tried to jump onto it, but it swatted her away with its tail, not wanting to be distracted from its meal. Still, she managed to recover, and retaliate.

While Blake had her little fight with the Death Stalker, I felt a tug on my shirt. Looking down to my left, I saw Lilith staring up at me with those hollow silver eyes of hers.

The roaring winds were violently having their way with her cloak, threatening to tear it form her small form. Her black and red hair was freed from the bindings of her hood, and were similarly fluttering. Still, her body itself seemed unaffected by these things. She didn't seem to care about the wind itself getting in her eyes, nor any of the dust kicked up by it.

Her face was still the same blank alabaster canvas, nearly devoid of all emotion save for a small frown gracing it. Her eyes held a question hesitantly, as if she wasn't sure if she wanted to ask.

"Jaune, I-" She began before flinching at some unseen pain.

It was then that I remembered what she was saying about having a migraine. Being in this storm right now must be pure torture for her.

"What is it Lilith." I said with a grimace, constantly looking back towards Blake's solo duel with the Death Stalker.

I kept hoping that Pyrrha would get up and do…something, _anything_ to get us out of this. I knew I couldn't do anything, but Pyrrha, she was amazingly strong, even stronger than Blake. She could probably take the Death Stalker out by herself, right?

But still, Lilith had captured my attention, so I turned back to her.

"I need you to do something." She began, gritting her teeth through the pain and yelling over the storm.

"Lilith, I don't have time for that, I need to figure out a plan to save Pyrrha!" I shouted back, letting the panic inside lash out at her.

Her frown turned into a scowl at my comment, "I know!" She shot back. Then she paused, taking a breath, and calming down a bit.

"I just…I have a way to take the Death Stalker out, I just need some time." She explained before glancing away.

"Lilith, we don't have time!" I argued, "Pyrrha's going to die!"

"And there's a Tornado coming, I know!" She shot back, clenching her fists tightly.

It's then that I noticed a small trickle of blood slowly crawling its way down from her nose.

"I just…I need you to protect me." She said more quietly, looking down, and tightening her grip on my shirt.

"…Lilith…I-" I began to say, stunned by her request.

She had never said anything like that before, never asked for help. She looked so vulnerable, like a sad, scared little doll. But…

I couldn't. I couldn't do _anything_. I couldn't save Alice, I couldn't save Pyrrha, and I won't be able to protect Lilith. I'm not a hero, and this isn't like the dream. I can't win just by _willing_ it. That weird glowing thing isn't going to come in and save me this time.

I was far out of my depth, and I knew it.

" _Please_." She insisted suddenly, looking up with those silver eyes, but this time, they weren't so hollow. This time, they were filled with…agony. Agony and fear. She was scared of something, and she was in agonizing pain.

Her lip quivered slightly, her eyes were gazing into mine with such hope and fear, and her grip on my shirt was doing its best to tear a hole in it. Looking at her like this, she reminded me of my little sister again, looking up to me to do something only I could do.

She reminded me a little of Alice too, when she looked at me that one final time.

And it was then that I realized it.

 _I might not be able to do anything about it, and I'm probably going to die, but that doesn't mean I have to just accept it._ I thought, that little spark of courage lighting up in the void of despair inside my soul.

_Even if its hopeless, I have to at least_ _ try _ _, I have to do_ _ something _ _, rather than just accept my fate._

And with that thought, my face hardened with determination. I was stilled scared out of my mind. In fact, that might be why I was deciding to go along with this, because I was terrified beyond logic.

I was staring death in the face either way, why not go out like a hero.

So, I nodded at her, my decision made. She looked relieved slightly, before flinching in pain again.

"Thanks Jaune, I knew I could trust you." She said quietly through grit teeth as she closed her eyes tightly. She released my shirt, letting me go.

So with that, I turned back to the Death Stalker, determined to do whatever I could to save her. To save us all.

I roared a battle cry, one that was immediately swallowed up by the storm. But it wasn't for them, it was all to pump me up, to get me mentally ready to throw my body at the Grimm if I had to.

So, raising my sword and shield, I ran at the scorpion, what I was trying to do unclear even to me. Right now I had no real strategy other than beat it with my sword till it stops attacking them

When I got up close to it, I swung my sword with all my might at its white-clad legs. With a _Clang_ drowned out by the winds, my sword uselessly bounced off its armor. It didn't even seem to notice me.

Instead, its attention was directed towards Blake, who was currently shooting it in the face. It had raised its claws up to block her shots. I saw that one of its ten glowing red eyes had gone dark and was bleeding profusely.

In an attempt to give Blake an opening, I stabbed my sword at it again. Each time it just clanged off its armor uselessly, not even worthy of making it pause. Then, by luck or by fate, I managed to find a small chink in its armor.

With a random thrust, I managed to plunge my sword into the open joint where one of its legs connected to its body. The sword plunged deep into its obsidian underbody, bypassing its thick, armored carapace.

_SCREECH!_

The Death Stalker loudly roared at my intrusion. I pulled the sword from its hide, now steeped in red ichor, and smiled at my small success.

 _Maybe it's not so hopeless_ I thought, my confidence growing just enough to keep me afloat.

As I basked in my small victory, I failed to account for one, very important thing.

A counter attack.

I heard a quiet sound in the distance through the wind. It was whisper quiet, but it was there. It sounded vaguely like someone shouting my name _Jaune_.

Then, I was slammed by a massive force, and thrown into the left side of the ravine so hard I crashed through a layer of topsoil and rocks, covering me in a small pile of debris. I felt like I had been hit by a truck, and was briefly wondering why I wasn't dead.

That being said, I still felt like I broke something, and my entire body was enveloped in pain. I sat there for a minute, feeling my subconscious calling me to sleep. Given the pain in my body, as well as the soft numbness flowing through me, I considered allowing my mind to fall to the void.

" _Pyrrha!_ " A voiced scream through the dull, but deafening roar of the winds. The voice was hoarse, desperate, and scared. Even worse, it was Blake's.

The cry was met with the feeling of several tremors shaking body, going off in a steady rhythm. Shocked out of my pained stupor, I jolted awake, struggling to get out of the small mountain of debris.

I wish I hadn't.

When I managed to climb out, I saw a sight that chilled my blood and stopped my heart.

The Death Stalker was, once again, standing over where it had thrown Pyrrha. It was pummeling the ground with its massive claws. Each hit was drowned out by the wind, but the _force_ of it was so powerful that is sent tremors through the earth. Each crushing blow on the earth sent up another cloud of dust into the air, a cloud quickly taken away by the wind. But that wasn't what scared me to my core.

It was the deep, wet, glistening, crimson stains covering its claws. Stains that hadn't been there before.

 _Pyrrha_ I thought, my eyes widening in horror. I didn't want to believe it. I wanted it to just be a dream again.

As my breath hitched in my throat, as my heart bleed with agony in my chest, as I felt my body grow cold, I could only think of one thought, over and over again.

_No_

* * *

**Blake pov**

I stood there, frozen in horror at the scene before me.

When Jaune was knocked back by its counter attack, I ran to him. Against all my training, and all my instincts, I ran to him. I was scarred for him, I wasn't sure he'd have survived something like that. He got hit harder than Pyrrha by its claw, hard enough to send him _into_ the ravine's wall.

While I was distracted, the Death Stalker took the opportunity to finish what it had started with Pyrrha. Before I could intervene, it began pounding on her, each blow bringing up a massive cloud of dust and debris. I could only barely hear each thunderous blow with my enhanced hearing, but even then, it did me no good.

I shouted her name, trying to rouse her, to get help, to do _something_.

" _PYRRHA!_ " I screamed, running my voice ragged.

But still, the Death Stalker continued. Then its claws became covered in crimson as the burst through her defenses. Then just for good measure, it gave her another few good smashes.

It stared at its work for a while, as if trying to decide if she was dead enough. As the dust over her cleared, a pile of rubble from the wall she had been laying against, stained red, lay in her place. A pool of blood oozed from the pile, spilling out onto the ground around her new grave.

My voice hitched in my throat as a myriad of emotions erupted from my soul, and threatened to consume me. I could feel my blood run cold, my heart shatter, and my throat tighten.

I had seen comrades fall in combat before, it wasn't something terribly new to me. I had even seen friends and family die in front of me.

That never made it better.

Each time they died, I still felt like a little piece of my soul went with them. After so long in the White Fang, after seeing so much death, I almost thought myself without one anymore. Then came that one mission, one of my last. It reminded me that beneath everything I had done, I was still a person, and more than that, this wasn't the answer.

It wasn't what truly convinced me to leave, but it was the first nail in the coffin. It opened my eyes to the _possibility_ that what I was doing might not be the answer. And from there, everything unraveled.

So, I left, trying to find a better way. I thought becoming a huntress would be a good start. They're supposed to be heroes, after all. So, I came here, seeking the answer to my questions, trying to bring about equality without all this bloodshed.

And when I met Jaune, I was inspired by a little hope. He was just so…innocent…really. He was weak, incredibly so, but he didn't really seem resentful about it. He knew he was weak, and that was one of the reasons he was here.

I can't say I've known him long, but along with him, Pyrrha, and Lilith, I've gotten along with them better than any other humans I knew. Sure, that wasn't really saying a lot, but it still gave me a small degree of hope.

And now that hope was dying.

Everyone was dying around me, and I couldn't do anything about it. I had done everything I could to protect them, to keep everyone alive, but it hadn't been enough.

 _No no no no nonononono_ I thought as my mind ran wild with panic that threatened to consume me.

Seeing her die like that _hurt_ , agonizingly so. I clutched my head, my hands digging into my onyx hair as my knees buckled, threatening to fail me.

Then I stopped, and took a breath.

Like I said, it wasn't the first time something like this had happened to me. While I can't say I was truly use to it, I had learned ways to push it down. I had learned how to shove the feelings down, and lock them in a safe inside my mind, for the time being at least.

If I hadn't, I would have been overcome by feelings of grief a long time ago. Those finely honed instincts came in to help block out the pain and fear, helping me to focus.

That said, I can't really say I'm great at it. I've certainly been compromised by my feelings and emotions before, and it'll probably happen again.

Still, it was enough to keep me from losing my mind from grief and despair.

It was thanks to that that I was able to regain my wits fast enough to hear rocks falling and the shuffling of dirt behind me. I turned, and to my relief and surprise, Jaune was digging his way out of his would-be tomb. But the look on his face reminded me of something important.

Jaune didn't have my experience.

His eyes were wide and watery, his movements frantic. I could see it in his eyes, he knew what he saw, he just didn't want to believe it.

"Pyrrha!" He shouted desperately, his voice little more than a whisper in this storm.

He quickly dug his way out of his pile of rubble, before running over to where her tomb lay.

Before he could senselessly run to his death, I grabbed him by the arm, jerking him to a stop.

"Pyrrha!" He screamed again, reaching out for her crude grave.

"Jaune!" I shouted at him, trying to break him out of it.

"Let me go Blake, she need our help!" He yelled back at me, tears streaming from his reddened eyes. Nearly as soon as they fell from his eyes, the rough winds carried them away into the sky.

"She's _Dead_!" I shouted back, trying to get it through his thick skull.

"No! I need to _save her_!" He denied.

As he did, the Death Stalker soon determined that it had accomplished its work, and slowly turned toward us.

Seeing this, I yanked Jaune toward me before grabbing onto both shoulders and shaking him.

"Stop it Jaune! You need to _Focus!_ " I shouted at him, trying to shake him out of it.

"Let me go dammit! How can you see that and feel _nothing!_ " He screamed at me.

_SLAP!_

I glared at him angrily.

" _How_ _ **Dare**_ _you say that_!" I growled at him

He stood there, frozen. His face red from my slap and his head still pointing away from me. I could see him trembling as he tried to hold in his sobs. His lips quivered as he tried to keep himself together.

"I'm sorry I just-" He tried to say, his voice quivering and wet.

"I don't want to fucking hear it." I interrupted him.

I could understand him, I really could, but this wasn't the time for the waterworks. We could have a heart to heart when we got out of this.

Seeing a flash of movement to my left, I pulled Jaune back away with me.

Where he stood not seconds ago, an explosion of dirt and debris erupted with a loud _Boom!_ That just managed to be heard over the roaring winds. In his place, was the glowing yellow stinger of the Death Stalker.

Jaune looked at me with those watery eyes with a tinge of relief. Ignoring it, I pushed him away from the Death Stalker, before dodging a blow sent for me.

In order to get some distance from the dangerous Grimm, we began to run from it. As we did, I did what I could to formulate a plan.

"Jaune, do you know where your sword and shield are?" I asked.

He nodded numbly at me, his eyes still wide open and watery from the horror he'd seen.

"Okay, then I'm going to need you to get them and distract the Death Stalker." I said to him.

He looked to me with wide eyes and a mouth opened in protest.

"Your shield can take anything it throws at you, you'll be fine." I said, trying to encourage him.

He stared at me for a moment, not really sure what to do with this, before he made his decision. He closed his mouth into a firm, determined, line. His eyes narrowed seriously, and the glaze lowered. They were still red and watery, but behind that was a layer of determination.

"Okay, if that's what you need." He said. His voice still quivered a bit, but it had gained a measure of steel in it that wasn't there a moment ago.

"It is." I replied, feeling relieved that he was out of it for now.

"I'll distract it while you look for your weapons. When you find them, strike its legs, and we'll switch. We'll have to keep doing it till it dies." I said, giving him the plan before turning back to the Death Stalker heading toward us.

Before I could attack it, however, Jaune grabbed my shoulder.

"Wait." He said "Lilith told me something."

"Where the hell is she, anyway?" I asked, annoyed at her lack of presence.

"She said she needed some time to do something to take it down. Something that would be faster than your plan." He told me.

I looked at him skeptically, but given the steeled belief in his eyes, I figured I would just have to trust him.

"Fine." I bit out.

It was the only real chance we had. Even as fundamentally solid as my plan was, it had a lot of holes in it. One of the biggest was the fact that this tactic would take a long time to kill it. We'd have to slowly disable it before we could hope to land the killing blow, and that would take time. Time we didn't have, thanks to the storm.

The tornado would be here in any minute, and we didn't have time to waste slowly disabling it. At the same time, however, it could easily catch up with us in these winds and this ravine if we tried to run. The winds would blow us around and slow us down, while the massive Death Stalker would be barely encumbered by it. Even now, it was quickly gaining on us.

We _had_ to kill it if we wanted to get away. So, our only hope was that Lilith would keep her word.

The second I relented to the plan, Jaune's face brightened a little bit. I couldn't say he looked happy, but there was certainly less grim despair on it.

"Good." He said before he split off and ran back to the pile of rubble he had been buried under.

I looked behind me to see the Death Stalker was still there. I turned the rest of my body, pulling out Gambol, and taking several shots at its eyes. With the winds as fierce as they were, my shots were carried off the mark a bit, though not so much as to completely throw it off, not at this range.

Finally, a lucky shot got another one of its eyes, causing it to screech again in rage. It ran toward me with added haste, completely forgetting Jaune.

Just before it ran me over, I used a clone to dodge to the left. I rolled, and came up firing at it. It slowly turned around, before slinging its stinger at me. Using another clone, I flipped over it, landing back several feet from the newly formed crater.

I took another couple of potshots at it, hoping to get another one of its eye. Unfortunately, once again, it had learned from the pain, and was now shielding it's eyes with its massive claws. Cursing the adaptability of the old Grimm, I quickly reloaded before I was forced to backflip out of the way of another of its strikes.

Spotting a flash of movement out of the corner of my eyes, I glanced toward it.

 _Good_ I thought, seeing that Jaune had recovered his weapons, and was now making his way toward the Death Stalker.

Attempting to distract it some more, I continued to fire at its face, regardless of how effective it would be. Once again shielding its eyes, it was completely unaware of Jaune flanking it.

With a battle cry silenced by the howling winds, he plunged his sword deep into the joint of the Death Stalker, completely avoiding its armor.

The Death Stalker screeched in rage, but once again, it was canceled out by the storm. It turned toward him and attempted to impale him with its stinger. Jaune managed to bring up his shield in time, getting into a basic blocking stance. The stinger bounced off his shield, though Jaune was pushed back by the sheer force of the blow.

As the Death Stalker reared back for another retaliatory blow, I made my move.

With finely honed accuracy, I swung Gambol's whole blade down on the crack between plates on its leg. Putting all the strength I had in it, I cut through the weaker, black exoskeleton, the muscle, and tendons, before exiting the other side. A spray of the beast's blood spurted out of the wound immediately after I made the cut, and the Grimm roared in pain as one of its legs fell to the ground.

As its thick, crimson, ichor fell to the ground, the Death Stalker slowly turned to me. It tried to lash out with its claw, but was too slow. It struck with its tail, but again, I dodged. As Jaune made a move for its other side, I drew Gambol's pistol and attempted to fire.

Before I could, however, a brief flash of lightning in the behind the Death Stalker blinded my sensitive eyes. I was only stunned for a moment, but that's all it needed.

Using the opening. The Death Stalker slammed me with its right claw, throwing me far to the left.

It felt like getting hit by a car, and though my Aura technically protected me, it still hurt like hell. I landed with a wet _splash_ , and another explosion of pain.

 _Wait, a splash?_ I wondered, curious as to why I would have landed in something wet in this dried up river bed.

I opened my eyes, expecting to see myself covered in dark brown mud. Instead, it was as dark crimson.

Instantly my eyes shot wide open as I looked around where I had landed. I was lying in a pool of blood.

 _Pyrrha's blood_ I realized as I saw her impromptu tombstone of rubble.

As I sat there, horrified and disgusted at the prospect of being covered in my own teammate's remains, I felt a series of tremors approach me. I looked up, seeing the Death stalker, looming over me.

Based on how much I ached, I was willing to bet my Aura was almost completely gone, meaning I probably couldn't take another hit. Even worse, I had dropped Gambol Shroud when I was sent flying, leaving me completely defenseless.

I looked around desperately for it, and instead found Jaune running over to me through the howling winds, trying to shout over them. They slowed him down and drowned him out, leaving him far behind. But…the wind wasn't the only thing drowning him out.

I could hear again, that buzzing sound that so resembled a speaker, or radio turned on, but not playing anything. I had heard it before, in my dream, at the cliffs, and now again, here. I couldn't begin to guess what it meant, not with my death closing in on me.

I could hear my heart beating loudly in my chest as my instincts _screamed_ at me to move. And I tried, but my body was slow to act, and I struggled to get up. The sound of static warred with both the wind and my heart, each trying to vie for dominance of my ears. Each one roaring loud enough to deafen me.

So, as I sat there, struggling to escape my fate, time seemed slow. The Death Stalker slowly raised its stinger high into the air, preparing to bring it down upon my head.

As it did, the dull humming began to win the war of sound, growing loudly. That's when I realized, it had a source. I turned my head, my curiosity somehow overriding my fear, and what I saw not only surprised me, it _terrified me_.

Standing there, with an arm outstretched, her eyes closed shut, and her cloak billowing violently in the wind, was Lilith. She had that same feeling as when I first met her, except magnified

She seemed to be mumbling something, and with each word, the static grew louder and louder.

She opened her eyes, and instead of being a hollow silver, now they were a pure, solid, silvery white. There was no white, no iris, and no pupil. Nothing but that disquieting silver white that shook me to my core.

The second she opened her eyes, the entire world grew deathly quiet. No static, no wind, no heartbeat, nothing. It's like all sound had been driven from this world, too scared to act.

Then, out of the deadly silence, there was a deafening _Snap_

Then everything exploded in light.

_ **CRACK!** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you the red girl died
> 
> Yeah, that's not the original note it was supposed to end on, but the original note would have added another 2-4K words so...yeah.
> 
> Still, the epic conclusion to this awesome tale shall be coming inside a week.
> 
> I wanted to get this out before January ended, because I said that I would, and I did.
> 
> Expect a revision to come for it relatively soon
> 
> Also, no, it's not a dream
> 
> I'm not pulling that same shit again, at least, not this time
> 
> In any case, this fight went through a ton of different variations, and the end result, for now, was this.
> 
> It has been through so many different alterations, it barely resembles what it first looked like.
> 
> Again, I'm not entirely sure if I like everything I've done in here, especially the more emotional scenes
> 
> Please, tell me what you thought of everything, I'll see what I can do about it, so long as nothing plot changing occurs.
> 
> I'm also kinda nervous about some of the things I'm doing in this and the next chapter.
> 
> They're really, really, big, and they're not things I can change, they're central to the plot.
> 
> I can change how I portray them, perhaps even delay them, but i can't take them out entirely without fundamentally changing the story.
> 
> So yeah, I'm a little worried about how you'll react to them.
> 
> I'm also a little worried about certain characters seeming OOC, but not in a way I want to, or can reasonably fix.
> 
> This is kind of because of what I've done to several of the major ones.
> 
> I took what i already knew of their backstory, motivations, and history, and tried to enhance it from there.
> 
> Then I went back to actually writing the characters, and trying as hard as possible to go in depth with them.
> 
> In some places, I might have written myself into a hole by making it so a character can't be exactly how they were in canon, not logically speaking anyway.
> 
> If it doesn't make much sense, then I'm sorry, it's really hard to explain it without giving everything away.
> 
> That said, I haven't completely changed anyone, its not like Blake actually had a hunger for human flesh, or Jaune an overpowered swaggerific rapist. It's just, some people might be a little...off
> 
> Well, other than Ruby. Ruby is very, very different, but you could already tell that.
> 
> Well, actually, so is that one person, kinda.
> 
> Shit, this is harder than I thought to explain without spoiling everything.
> 
> That said, I'm not trying to completely deviate from canon.
> 
> I'm using canon as a guideline for what should have happened, had a certain set of changes not occurred. This won't always be the case, but that's the mindset I go with when I try to write this thing
> 
> Some things, aren't really cannon at all, but I felt could reasonably be cannon.
> 
> For example, the Watchmen
> 
> They...are an idea that kind of ran away from me, but in a good way.
> 
> Honestly its all Torchwick's fault.
> 
> But I still like them, a lot.
> 
> That said, this isn't going to turn into Watchmen tales, they just serve a purpose in certain points, don't panic.
> 
> In any case, you'll learn more soon, and I hope to see you again.
> 
> And remember, tell me if you like something I did.
> 
> It helps me know what I nailed, and what I need to improve.
> 
> See you soon


	15. Scene 15: Blackened Glory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As we approach the Finale, we take a look at the cost of a hollow victory.

**Torchwick pov**

"Hey Mila?" I said, getting my guards attention.

Apparently, the V.C.P.D had decided, "Screw the regs, this guy's annoying as fuck", and they were going to have Mila guard me all the time. I think it was because she was the new girl. That, or because she was a Faunus.

Still, though, they brought in another guy, Jack, when Mila got off her shift, but that asshole was usually only around for a few hours of consciousness for me before I fell asleep. Not really sure why he was here, though. Even though he was a dick, He seemed to be well respected in the department. Like he was an annoying older brother. You hated him, but despite that you still loved him. Plus he was funny, so he had that going for him

Mila, by the way, was about 5" 7', had black and white hair worn in a ponytail, and always wore a dark blue cap on her head. She had blue eyes. She also had a white rifle slung over her shoulder and two holstered pistols on her sides.

She wore a dark blue police uniform on her, and they fit her well enough. I could tell that under the uniform she had some muscle tone and an athletic body. Still, she looked kinda…average looking. The only thing that was really of note was the white highlights in her hair, but even they were hard to notice when she wore a hat all the time, making me think they might be natural.

Black and white hair, strange as it sounds, wasn't the weirdest hair color I've ever seen.

_Fukcing Neo_. I thought, tempted to roll my eyes.

Don't get me wrong, she wasn't ugly or anything, she was kind of cute, but she wasn't exactly a standout, bombshell, beauty. That being said, it was a nice change of pace from all the shapely and beautiful female officers I've seen. I mean, they were nice to look at, I guess, but being skinny with big tits didn't usually help you catch bad guys.

Unless they were perverts.

Like a certain bearded bartender I knew.

In any case, during our time together, we had gained an understanding.

"I have a new joke for you," I said with a smile.

I would torture and annoy her with terrible jokes, puns, dumb "funny" stories, anything really…

" _Nooo_." She groaned.

…And she would give me a smoke to shut me up.

"It's a good one." I insisted

"No, just _please_ shut up." She begged.

It hadn't worked yet.

"Knock knock." I began, not waiting for her consent.

"…" She remained silent, trying to ignore it.

But I wouldn't give up

"Knock _knock_." I repeated.

"…" Still, she stubbornly remained silent.

"You know being quiet just drags it out, right?" I warned her

"…" And yet still, she turned her head away from the "window", crossed her arms, pouted, and "hmphed" at me.

_Well, we can't have that, now can we?_

I took in a deep breath to prepare myself for the onslaught I was about to unleash upon her.

"knockknock knockknock knockknock knockknock knockknock knockknock knockknock knockknock knockknock knockknock knockknock knockknock knockknock knockknock knockknock knockknock" I said loudly and incessantly, grinning all the way.

If I had to, I would annoy her into submission. Besides, this place had surprisingly good acoustics.

_Faunus hearing isn't so fun now is it?_

" _Who's there?_ " She moaned, giving in to my demands as she took her hat off to massage her assaulted dog ears. How they stayed comfortable under that hat, I would never know

I smiled victoriously, knowing I would always win in the end. These guys really didn't have much discipline.

"A broken pencil."

"A broken pencil _who_?" She asked cautiously, unsure if she wanted the answer or not.

"Never mind." I said dismissively

"What do you mean, never mind?" She huffed with an annoyed face.

"It's _pointless_." I said with a smirk.

Mila, in response, blinked, before she figured it out and groaned loudly. Pleased at the success of my antics I cackled at her pain while she cursed her own misfortune.

"Oh Mila, you're too easy." I laughed.

Frankly, I kind of liked Mila, at least, compared to most of the pigs in this shithole. Sure, she was _incredibly_ gullible, and easy to torture like this, but she wasn't an asshole like most of the cops in this place. She didn't constantly taunt me about how "the great Roman Torchwick" was caught by a little girl.

Actually I'm not even sure if that last part is public knowledge. They might have given sole credit, publicly, to the huntress, Goodwitch.

The only annoying part was really how nauseatingly kind she was. Still, though, it was better than being an asshole.

That's my job, after all, and _no-one_ does it better than me.

I was taken out of my thoughts by the conversation that a pair of detectives were having while they walked past my cell.

"So, what do you think happened to Le Livre Noir?" The detective with the black mustache asked his partner. I had learned that he was detective Johnson

"I don't know, but I think it's weird how he's dropped off the radar all of a sudden." The blonde one responded, also known as detective Williams.

"If by weird you mean suspicious, then yeah, I'm totally with you on that." Detective Johnson responded.

Soon, however, they were out of earshot. Still, they raised something that peaked my interest.

I turned back to Mila to ask her the question on my mind.

"What do they mean Le Livre Noir's dropped off the radar? He wasn't exactly a very public person in the first place." I asked

She shifted her feet, obviously not entirely sure how comfortable she felt discussing this with a criminal. In the end, she relented. Likely because now that I had brought it up, she really felt like talking about it.

"There's been absolutely no activity from Le Livre Noir for over eight months. We've gotten absolutely nothing at all. That's an unheard of amount of time he's gone silent." She responded.

I whistled. She was right. I suppose considering his profession it wasn't _too_ surprising, but usually he did something every three months. Despite him having a relatively regular cycle, the police were never able to catch him. That was, in part, because he would only attack sometime _within_ the month.

Say, if he struck sometime in September, then the next time he'd strike would be sometime in December. That's all they'd really know, it could be anytime _within_ said month.

Then she perked up as she realized something.

"Hey wait, how do _you_ know about him? He's not supposed to be public knowledge?" She questioned, looking at me with a furrowed brow.

In response I just gave her a dull look and replied, "Criminal. Mastermind. Figure it out." As I gestured towards myself.

Then, after a half second of thought, she blushed and looked at me sheepishly, saying, "Oh, right, yeah, I forgot."

"You got any theories." I asked, curious.

"Well…It's not like we were getting close to catching him or anything…" She began

"So I think that maybe his activities caught up with him. Or maybe he pissed off the wrong people. Considering the backing he had, I'd be surprised, but considering what he did..." She explained.

I nodded in agreement.

"Makes sense. Being an assassin isn't exactly a cushy job." I responded

_I guess that might explain why Adam was so tight lipped about him, then_.

* * *

**Goodwitch pov**

By the time Ms. Schnee's team and I managed to repel the wave of terrestrial Grimm that were assaulting our position, the school's Bullheads were only 3 minutes away. Unfortunately, due to the rushed job, not all the Bullheads in the school's hanger were able to be prepped and in the air in time. They could have made sure that every Bullhead was in the air, but that would have taken time, time we didn't have.

While we always had a small fleet of Bullheads ready to go, usually we had more warning, and as such did not keep every single Bullhead prepped and ready to take off at a moment's notice. As a result of the rush, only 4 Bullheads were able to be launched in time, with each carrying three huntsmen teaching at the school. This meant that we would not be able to get every student out of here in one go. That was, of course, assuming that every student got here in time.

Fortunately, the V.A.F was sending its own Bullheads and Gunships, more than enough to get everyone out of here safely. Unfortunately, they would be another 13 minutes, forcing us to wait at least another ten minutes before everyone could leave.

Even worse, the Tornado Watch had been upgraded into a Warning, meaning that the Tornado was inevitable, and likely to touch down in 15 minutes or less. If we were unlucky, then it would hit before the V.A.F. got here.

On top of that, I couldn't track any of the student's progress through the forest. The surveillance system usually in place was having trouble connecting to my scroll thanks to the storm's interference. I had no idea where anyone was, whether they were close to the evac zone, whether they were safe, whether they were in danger, or even if they were dead.

I felt helpless.

All I could do was sit here with these initiates and hope the others safely arrived while we kept the evac site safe. As much as I wanted to run into the forest and help guide groups of students back here safely, I knew it would do no good. Since I had no indication of where anyone was, I would be running around blind, doing no one any good.

So, I had to sit here and wait and pray. Pray that we chose a good enough spot, pray that the Tornado does not land before we can leave, pray that we can defend this location, pray that everyone arrives here safely, and pray that Ruby is okay.

I know I'm supposed to be impartial, but in this situation, it's impossible not to. I care about every student here, and I want them all to get here safely, and I won't abandon any of them to their fate over Ruby. That said, I've gotten to know Ruby. Not terribly well, the girl is quite reclusive, withdrawn, and secretive, but well enough.

All I know about the other students are what their transcripts tell me. I have a face, a name, and what they've done in school. I don't truly _know_ them, I haven't spoken to them, I haven't discovered any little nuances about them. I don't even know the sound of their voice.

Ruby, on the other hand, had been living with me for a couple months. Again, I don't know her terribly well, I don't know her whole life story or anything, but I've still learned a lot about her. I've learned about how expressive her eyes can be while her face remains stony, how inquisitive she is. I've learned about her love of engineering and science, as well as the effort and care she puts into her weapons.

Most of all, I've learned to care about her. I've grown accustomed to having her live with me, and the near constant aura of unease she radiates. I barely even notice it anymore.

And now she's out there in that forest, and I can't do anything to help her. This morning when she got up, I knew something was off about her, she didn't look well, and yet still I allowed her to go out there into Initiation, thinking she would be fine.

_What could go wrong?_ I thought at the time.

I don't know why on earth I thought that, I was sending a young girl who is clearly unwell into a Grimm infested forest. And yet, she didn't even seem the slightest bit concerned about it. Though that comment about Lucifer unnerved me. I can't be sure whether it was a joke or not, we didn't manage to find the time to continue the conversation.

When she told me he was the voice in her head, I was taken off guard by that. Ruby didn't seem the type to make something like that up, and yet, the way she gave me the tiniest of smiles after I choked on my breakfast can't help but give me lingering doubts. It could have been her attempt at humor. If it was, then that was something we need to work on.

Still, at the time, I think I felt that if she was fine enough to crack terrible jokes, then she was okay to go to Initiation, something she seemed to agree with. And now, my thoughts were coming back to haunt me.

Things had gone far worse than I could have possibly imagined.

And now she was out there, sick in the storm. I didn't even know how she was doing. I could only have faith that she and her teammates would get here safely. That was probably the only saving grace. Miss Nikos was her partner, someone strong and reliable, someone who could keep her safe.

_Even still, I can't help but be worried. I can't shake this indescribable feeling in my gut_ I thought worriedly.

I was shaken from my thoughts by Ms. Schnee.

"Ms. Goodwitch?" She asked, getting my attention

It was at this moment that I realized that I had been standing upon a hill in the clearing, glaring into the forest this entire time.

"Yes?' I responded, turning to her

"When are the Bullheads supposed to be getting here?" She asked, her brow slightly pinched together in concern.

I took the time to look back down at my scroll.

"They should be here in a minute or two." I answered, turning back toward her.

She breathed out a breath of relief before nodding back at me.

"Good, good. That's good." She responded, knitting her fingers together.

"Are you okay?" I asked, worried. She seemed anxious, though it wasn't hard to figure out why.

"Yes! Yes, I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine." She answered quickly, as she hurriedly tried to force her hands to her sides.

I sighed, realizing that due to her upbringing she likely wouldn't like to show any sign of perceived weakness.

"Ms. Schnee, it is perfectly natural for you to be nervous. The key is to accept, and move past it, rather than pretend it is not there." I tried to explain to her

In response she frowned, looking down towards the ground and muttered something under her breath. The only word I could pick up from it was "Winter", and given who I was looking at, it wasn't terribly hard to figure out what was going through her head.

I was about to say something else when Ms. Xiao Long got my attention.

"Ms. Goodwitch, is that them?!" She shouted over the roaring winds.

Turning to her, I brushed my hair out of my face again. I saw her pointing into the sky, and sure enough, there were several shapes in the air heading toward us from the school.

They were hard to make out in the darkened skies, but the lights on them helped make them stand out, as well as marking them as different to the various types of flying Grimm.

With that, I let out a breath of relief.

"You see Ms. Schnee. You, and your team, will be able to leave in just a few moments." I said as I turned back to her.

And indeed, she seemed visibly relieved.

"Good. Go-" She began to say

"Contact." Ren interrupted her, talking over the winds.

He raised up his two weapons, the Stormflowers I believe they were called, and looked into the forest with narrowed eyes. The second he said that, the rest of us tensed up and readied our weapons as well.

I frowned, realizing I had let my guard down in my attempts to calm Ms. Schnee down. Turning to the forest, I raised my crop again, waiting for whatever it was to show itself.

Sure enough, not seconds after he gave the warning, could I see glimpses of movement through the trees. It was hard to tell, mainly because the roaring winds were shaking anything and everything so much that it was hard to tell what was the wind, and what was a Grimm. It didn't help that the sound of the wind drowned out nearly any warning sounds that could alert their approach.

The simple fact that he had noticed anything unusual through all of this was nothing short of extraordinary, be it either luck or skill. Especially considering the distance to the tree line.

Considering how easy it would be for a Grimm to surprise us, we had made our stand about 100 yds from the tree line on a hill. We might have went back further, but at the moment everyone was out of ammunition, save for Ms. Schnee and I, and even we lacked infinite resources. All in all, this was as optimal of a distance as we could create in such short notice.

Still, whatever was moving through the trees was doing so extremely slowly. Something that was immediately suspicious, as if it was a Grimm than it likely wouldn't hesitate to charge at us at full speed.

Then finally, whatever it was, broke through the tree line, allowing us to get a good few of it. The second I lay eyes upon them, I let out a sigh of relief.

"Mr. Winchester, glad you could join us." I greeted him over the winds, lowering my weapon.

Likewise, the others relaxed seeing as how it wasn't more Grimm, and instead a small group of students led by Mr. Winchester.

"Is this it?" He questioned loudly as he marched over to us.

In response I simply raised a brow questioningly.

"Where's everyone else? Where are the Bullheads?" He continued.

I sighed, remembering who I was dealing with.

"Calm down Mr. Winchester." I began, trying to placate him before his negativity drew in more Grimm.

"If you direct your attention over there…" I continued, pointing in the direction of the incoming Bullheads, "You will see that help is only moments away."

"Oh." He said simply, his eyes wide in surprise at having the wind taken from his sails so suddenly.

I resisted the urge to shake my head with ease, and instead directed my attention toward making sure nothing got the jump on us. It would be simply pitiful for us to fall prey to Grimm seconds from salvation simply because we were all too distracted looking at our rescuers to notice or killers coming from behind.

"Don't get distracted, keep an eye out for any more Grimm or students." I shouted over the winds.

"Remember, you won't be able to hear them coming, so unless you keep an eye out you won't notice them until they're right on top of you." I warned.

At that, they all had different emotional reactions, ranging between sheepish, stoic, and annoyed. Nevertheless, they all complied, turning around and surveying the forest.

After a couple more seconds of nothing, I then began to feel a slight tremble in the air. Sparing a glance behind me, I observed the quartet of Bullheads pass over the cliff, angling there engines as they slowed down and shifted into a hovering alignment.

Then they began the slow descent downwards, as graceful as their names suggested. Finally, they landed, and the doors opened, revealing the hunters inside. There were 12 of them, 12 teachers from the school, three per Bullhead.

As they all got off, I turned to the students behind me, who had all directed their attention to the landing aircraft. In response I held back a sigh and bit back a small lecture at disobeying my orders.

"Well then, it appears your transport is here." I began.

"Bu-" Ms. Xiao Long attempted to argue again.

"No." I sternly shot down. "I already explained this before."

"Now, all of you are getting on one of those Bullheads, and they are going to take you to Beacon before one of you dies trying to be a hero." I glowered at them, crushing their will to resist.

Some would say it was cruel, mean, cold, and heartless even. They might have had a point, but I didn't care. I wasn't going to let them stay here while they were tired, low or completely out of ammunition, and dangerously low on aura. If I had to be the bad guy to do it, then I was more than willing to fulfil that role.

Ms. Xiao Long had surprised me with how insistent she could be regarding staying here to help. She had also surprised me with raw _hate_ she radiated when killing Grimm, something that she would need to work on. That said, considering who her father is, I suppose I really shouldn't be surprised.

That said, I haven't really found any definitive signs that she feels the same as her father, at least, towards her sister, Ms. Rose. Then again, it's not like I've brought it up in conversation or anything, so I can't really be sure. But, if her reaction to the Grimm is anything to go by, then Ms. Xiao Long might not be as bereft of problems as she wants to appear.

Still, my little lecture was enough to crush any last traces of rebellion they held. Even still, they all had varying reactions to leaving. Some took it as a blessing, and others reluctantly. Nevertheless, they all walked up to the now empty Bullhead behind me and stepped inside.

Soon the doors closed, and the engines roared once more, and they were on their way out of here.

"Was that really necessary Ms. Goodwitch?" A voice to my left asked.

Turning to him, I suppressed a sigh, instead saying, "They don't understand how close they came to dying. They want to be heroes, but they don't truly understand what that means. And in a way, I pray they never do."

Then, a sigh managed to escape past my lips as I glanced down, one I followed up by sadly stating, "In another way, I hope that they learn it here. I hope this experience shows to them that being a hunter isn't as simple as being a heroic monster slayer. It isn't a happy little story about slaying evil and saving children."

Then I looked back toward Prof. Port, finishing up by saying, "And that sometimes, even when you win, it still feels like you lost."

In response he nodded sadly.

"A fact we know all too well." He solemnly agreed.

"Nevertheless, that is why we became hunters. To face the horrors of Grimm so others didn't have to." He added resolutely.

"And we became teachers so we could prevent our students from repeating our mistakes, did we not?" Dr. Oobleck commented to my left.

"Well said Dr.!" Prof. Port complimented with a loud slap on the back.

Despite the encouraging little speech, I couldn't help but have a nagging little doubt. As much as the two were correct in their statements, they conveniently forgot something.

_And yet, despite our best attempts, we can't save everyone. Sometimes we fail, and sometimes we fail spectacularly._

* * *

**5 minutes later**

As I watched the last Bullhead take off, I couldn't help but feel a bit of failure in myself. We had sent the second and third Bullhead off with only 16 frightened students onboard after a large wave of Grimm attacked. One we successfully managed to fend off after they safely left.

Then, this fourth one, only had 7 people onboard, all of whom had various injuries ranging from Aura depletion to severe gashes, and even broken bones. One of them was even a teacher, someone who got unlucky repelling a vicious wave of Grimm. They had been sent off because they were in the most danger, and several were in need of critical care.

At the same time, however, this meant that only 30 of the 80 students had been saved so far, and we had no more Bullheads to spare, at least not in time. Even worse, we had lost a teacher, a huntsman, someone who was supposed to help bolster our defenses. Without them, it would just be _that much_ _harder_ to fend off the successive waves of Grimm.

The worst part was probably deciding who left and who stayed.

You see, when I told the fourth Bullhead to takeoff, we still had 22 other students down here, all of them wanting to go home. But, as much as I wanted to send as many as I could, I had to be pragmatic. As much as it hurt, as much as it crushed my heart, as much as I didn't want to do it, I had a job to do as the leader of this little rescue force. And part of that job was doing the bloody math of the real world.

Logically, I knew it made the most sense. Get the ones who are mostly useless and in the most danger out of here.

I also knew that our only hope was to hold the line, to survive, until the V.A.F. got here. I would have to hope they would be enough for us all to get out of here, and that no one would have to get left behind. But until that time, we were on our own. For five more brutal minutes, we would be on our own. And to survive on our own, we would need manpower.

Manpower we would have to get from the students.

As much as I detested it, we would need them to fight for their lives. I wanted to protect them from this, save them from this, because I knew in my heart they were not, _could not_ , be prepared for this. And yet, if we were to last for long enough for the remaining students to get here, we would need them to fight along with us.

All I could do was fight as hard as I could to keep them all alive.

But even for me, there was only so much I could do.

And that's when it all started again.

It began with a loud cacophony of _ROAR_ 's that could be barely heard over the sound of the wind, accompanied by several small tremors. As the tremors slowly grew louder, so too did the various sound coming from the forest. Then, as it approached we began to see several tree's in the forest falling over in the path of what was likely another horde of Grimm, here to rend us to shreds.

In response, all 34 of us turned and braced for whatever it was that would meet us.

Then, to my surprise, another team of four students burst out of the woods, running for their lives. They all had expressions mixed with both relief and terror as they charged toward the safe zone. Several of them were even blindly fire behind them, hoping to hit whatever was chasing them.

Then the tree line erupted behind them.

First, several dozen Beowolves charged from the foliage, practically running over each other to catch the fleeing students. In immediate response, the students and teachers who still had ammunition unloaded into the incoming pack of Beowolves, tearing them apart with their combined fire.

With their help, the incoming group of Initiates managed to make their way safely behind our loose defensive line on the hill.

Unfortunately, it felt like for every Grimm felled by their bullets, two more sprung from the tree line. Still, they never got far. The thick barrage of suppressing fire coming down from the hill tore them apart before they even got to the foot of it.

Then, came several Ursa, charging out of the foliage. Their more armored and muscular forms soaking up bullets, and allowing them to get just a little bit closer. Next were Boarbatusks, their heavily armored forms allowing them to actually make it up the hill. Still, despite that, once they crested the hill they were met with the brutal close-quarters melee weapons of the students and teachers.

And such was the balance. They kept pouring from the trees at a somewhat steady pace, and we kept slaughtering them like the mindless beasts that they were. There were enough of us that we could for each other if we needed to recover or reload, without straining the line.

It was during this stalemate that Prof. Port nudged my side, trying to get my attention. In this cacophony of roars, gun blasts, and howling wind, there was no way I'd be able to hear his voice if I wasn't paying attention to him.

I turned to him, annoyed that he was distracting me from something I considered more important. When I did, I saw him gesture off into the distance with a dark frown as he took some time to reload his blunder-axe. Directing my attention to the area in question, I saw, to my ever increasing worry, that the funnel cloud had finished forming.

The Tornado had landed.

I could see the large dust cloud formed at its base as its violent winds tore apart everything in its path, ripping it out of the ground and turning it into deadly debris. Even worse, I could see scores of trees ripped out of the ground and being sucked into the cyclone, as if the sky was reaching down to devour the forest beneath it. That meant it had to be at least an EF3, if not higher.

I could only pray that the twister didn't last long, or didn't come our way. We didn't have a chance in hell of surviving such a thing, nor could anyone caught in its path, not unless they found cover.

Which brought me to another concern.

I hadn't seen Ruby yet.

In fact, there were still an unsettlingly large amount of people unaccounted for, and I had no way to know how they were doing, nor did I have any possible way to rescue, locate, or assist them, something which was slowly gnawing at me, constantly. Even still, I had to push past it. I had people _here_ I had to take of _now_. Worrying about things I couldn't have a realistic impact on right now wasn't logical.

That said, humans aren't exactly logical creatures.

Pushing away those thoughts and leaving a silent prayer for those not yet here, I redirected my attention to the battle ahead of me. All things considered, it was going well. We had pushed them back down to the bottom of the hill, giving us enough space to breath. Those who had ran out of ammunition or Dust were hanging back, letting those who still had ranged capabilities take over.

If this continued then we'd soon push back the third wave of Grimm, and then we'd wait for the others to come, as well as the V.A.F. and then we'd all get out of here, safe and sound.

_Just a little bit longer, then we can all get out of this alive_ I thought, pushing myself to work just that _extra_ bit to bring everyone back home alive.

That is, of course, when I saw something flying toward us out of the corner of my eye, before it, and my optimism, came crashing down into the earth with a loud, wet, _THUD._

The first thing I heard after the dust cleared was screaming. Somehow, over the guns, wind, and Grimm, I could hear this screaming above all else. The wail cut through the interference and drowned everything else out. But, it wasn't hard to see why. The object that had flown through the air…it wasn't an object.

It had been a student.

Once.

Now, it was broken body that more closely resembled roadkill than a human being. They were so severely mangled, crushed, and shredded that it was impossible to truly identify even their gender. They had landed on their head, causing their neck to be bent back at an impossible angle, and spill out of their body to a degree.

Their head had been crushed on impact and their torn face had been flung off. The severity of the impact cause the chest cavity to rupture, spilling many of their organs, such as their intestines, stomach, and a lung, to fall out and onto the ground.

To say their bones had been broken would be an understatement. In fact, I doubt they had any intact bones left, many of them were even sticking out through their skin. In addition, most of the blood in their body had explosively vacated them, and instead fled to the surrounding area.

Part of that surrounding area included a promising young girl by the name of Cathy Adams, who was now covered in the blood of this recently deceased student. Unsurprisingly, this was also the person who was screaming at the top of their lungs. Not an unreasonable reaction to be covered in the remains of someone your age.

Unfortunately, it had severe and unforeseen consequences.

As the scream of disgust and terror rang out, it drew the attention of several students and even a few teachers. The students, lacking real-life experience with the horrors of fighting Grimm, or even experience seeing such gruesome death up close and personal, felt similar feelings of horror, terror, and disgust. The teachers, having experience matters such as these, took it better, but even still, seeing such a grisly death of a child isn't something you can just shrug off without feeling anything.

And so, with that simple action of a child falling from the sky to their grisly death, they had damned us all. With that act, a plethora of negative emotions spread like wildfire through the ranks as moral plummeted. The first domino had fallen.

The second was close behind.

In their fit of fear, the students had become distracted, and the line weakened just enough for just long enough for our fate to be sealed.

In a flash, a King Taijitu used the moment to strike the right side, rushing across the field and snatch up one of the more vulnerable student into its jaws. As the white headed serpent raised him high into the air, the student screamed out, struggling to free himself. As several of his surrounding peers tried to free him, more Grimm struck.

A Beowolf tackled another student to the ground and began mauling him. The Grimm was soon blasted of the student by his partner, but even still, he was covered in deep lacerations.

Then I heard another outcry on the left, and saw a Deathstalker breaking the lines and impaling a student on its stinger. A teacher tried to distract it with their electrified whip, to give the other students a chance to escape its wrath. That she was then pounced on by an Ursa Major, which was then joined by a pack of Beowolves as it savagely eviscerated the poor teacher.

Scenes like that erupted all around me as the lines shattered, and everything fell to chaos. I wanted to try and save them, but there too many to save, and I couldn't be everywhere at once. For every student I saved by blasting a Grimm of them, I saw two more get assaulted.

For every cry of terror, of pain, of despair, the moral plummeted and the infection of negativity spread. As it spread, more and more Grimm poured from the forest in a veritable flood of darkness. And we drowned in that flood, desperately attempting to tread water, and failing miserably.

As I desperately fought for my life, and the lives around me, I couldn't help but think one thought.

_Is this how it all ends?_

Then I saw a glimpse of several object flying above me, followed by a-

_**BBBOOOOMMMM!** _

The world lit up from a second sun spawned on the earth, for a second all sound was blasted into silence. The force of the blast reverberated through my body, rattled my teeth, and even pushed me back a bit.

As my ears rung and I struggled to regain my sight from the stars that plagued it, I felt more and more powerful _Thumps_ pass through my body, each one shaking the earth beneath me. As I finally opened my eyes, I was greeted to a blessed sight.

Several gunships hovered overhead of us, launching missile after missile into the horde of Grimm, breaking them up and tearing them down. Each one detonated with a _Thump_ muted by my temporary deafness, nevertheless I could still _feel_ them, and could still see the glorious sight of the fiery explosions tearing the savage beasts apart.

The rockets were matched with the loud _BRRRRRRTTTTTTT_ of their chain guns as the spat streams of high-caliber explosive bullets down on the world below them. They tore through the Grimm like they weren't even there, causing blood and body parts to go flying high into the air.

The V.A.F. had arrived.

* * *

**Jack pov**

I looked down at the world below me as the Cardinal gunships tore the horde of Grimm apart down there with a hidden smile.

The pilots were careful not to hit friendlies, and instead focused on cutting a line between the hill the hunters were on, and the forest the Grimm were pouring from. They did this through the liberal use of explosives and ammunition. Soon, there was a large line of craters creating a sort of no-man's land between the forest and the hill.

From there, that's where we came in.

Looking at them like this, I honestly couldn't feel that same resentment or negativity I normally felt when dealing with hunters. Instead, I saw people in need of help, help I was more than willing to provide.

I saw Robin raise a hand up to the side of his helmet and pressed a button to turn the comm on, and connect it with the pilot.

"Hey, are we good to drop?" Robin asked

I heard a couple more bursts of fire from the chaingun in the nose before he responded

"Yeah, boss, let me just bring it down into position, then you can try and break your legs again." He remarked.

"It hasn't happened yet." Robin shot back.

"First time for everything." The pilot retorted dismissively as I heard him flick a switch.

And with that the bay doors opened, exposing us to the harsh winds outside.

"Alright Watchmen, lets save some Hunters! I've always wanted to have one owe me a beer!" Robin rallied.

"No thanks, my fiancé doesn't like it when I drink." I commented as I got up.

"Dude, you are so whipped." Robin remarked as he walked to the edge, checking his rather special "rifle" once more.

"What does he mean when he says this?" Ymir asked, joining him at the entrance.

"He's just jealous because he doesn't have a girl." I explained teasingly as I joined them.

In response Robin looked at me and said, "I don't need a girl, I have Marian" As he held up his weapon of choice.

And with that, he jumped out of the craft.

As he did, I could hear Ymir sigh loudly over the comm. Giving the giant a pat on the back I said, "Cheer up buddy, we get to save people _and_ kill monsters."

He nodded silently, and without another word, we. both jumped. By the time we hit the ground, Robin was already getting to work, using the semi-auto function of his gun to put down Grimm in a more... conventional form. Still, the 7.62 mm Dust round tore large gory holes in every Grimm he shot at, each one in the perfect place to maximize effectiveness.

When Ymir hit the ground, he practically shook the earth itself as his tremendous mass made a small crater at his feet. In comparison, I rolled as I hit the ground, minimizing my impact. At the same time the other Bullheads were unloading the two squads of soldiers, and the team of medics we brought with us.

I raised my rifle and fired my 6.5 mm AP Incendiary Dust rounds from Llofrudd Mawr at any Grimm I could set my sights on. Knowing how effective it was against Grimm, I only used a single three-shot burst on each target, but I knew it was enough.

When I fired at one Ursa moving to strike a huntsman from behind, I shot a burst directly at its neck. Each round penetrated deep into its neck, before bursting into flames. The incendiary detonation burned the Grimm from the inside out, causing it to violently panic and flail. But it did it no good, and soon the fire spilled out from the wound and covered the beast. By the time it finally died, I had already moved on.

I spared a glance to Ymir, who was using his massive Himlens-Dån to rain down round after round of his punishing 7.62 mm Blizzard Dust rounds. Each time a round hit a Grimm, it instantly exploded into clump of ice, partially freezing the Grimm. In only a handful of rounds, he could completely freeze even an Ursa Major, though, in some cases, it wasn't enough.

He turned his fire towards a King Taijitu. Each round spawned another growth of icy crystals, and slowed the beast down. Soon, it was completely frosted over, and yet it continued to live. It was slowly breaking out of its frozen cage, struggling against its frosty restraints.

That was quickly solved by a blast from Marian.

As the resounding _CRACK_ echoed through the field, and a bolt of electric blue light trialing behind the projectile was the only sign of it. The round impacted the frosted snake with incredible force, penetrating through its thick scales and lodging itself in its head. Then, after a moment, a series of electrical arc began to spark from the impact point before running across its body, then, the two different Dust forms violently reacted with one another.

The King Taijitu detonated in an explosion of ice and gory. Shards of ice flung from it, and turned into deadly shrapnel as they speared and shredded other Grimm surrounding it.

I spared a glance behind to see Robin pointing his Bloody Marian toward us in its crossbow form, its four arms extending horizontally from the end of the barrel which had two large rectangular rods both above and below the primary barrel. When it was like this it was really a combination of a railgun and a crossbow, using both magnetism and tension to fire a bolt at incredible speeds. A bolt that often had an Indra type electrical Dust detonator, one that reacted violently when combined with other types of active Dust elements.

After taking down the King Taijitu, Ymir had to reload his Himlens-Dån, unfortunately even if he had to pause, the Grim didn't share that sentiment.

"Death Stalker, left side." Robin called out as he re-armed his Bloody Marian

Turning to our left, sure enough, there was a large Death Stalker coming our way with murder in its ten red eyes.

Ymir dropped his machine gun, allowing it to hang by its sling, before drawing his massive Warhammer, Slägga Av Berget. The sling reeled in, drawing his machine gun to his back, before the magnets took hold and held it firmly to his back.

As the Death Stalker charged straight for him, Ymir braced himself, rearing back his Slägga, and preparing to strike.

Then, just before the scorpion reached him, he swung the hammer, maul side first, and drove it into the Grimm like the Fist of God.

With a loud _Crack!_ The hammer smashed into the Death Stalker's thick armor. The thick armor, capable of deflecting nearly everything save anti-tank rounds, cracked under the massive, crushing, pressure of Ymir's hammer and might. The force was so great, it even caved in the front of the Death Stalker's body a bit and knocked it back a ways.

Just after impact, the Ice Dust in the Berget activated, triggering a small explosion of ice on the face of the Death Stalker. From the impact point, ice began to crawl it's way slowly across the Death Stalker, freezing it. Just like the King Taijitu, however, this wasn't enough to kill it.

But again, that wasn't the point.

I holstered my Mawr on my back as I drew Sleas, my axe, from it with my right hand. After holstering Mawr, I drew Llosgi from the small of my back, wielding the double short-barreled shotgun in my left hand.

I flicked my wrist holding my axe, "arming" it as a brief flare of fire exploded from it's razor-sharp serrated blade. When it died down the tip of the blade was glowing red-hot from the fire Dust charging it.

Without another word, I charged straight toward the frozen Death Stalker while Ymir got to reloading his Himlens. Before I could get there, however, and Ursa Major tried to get in my way, swiping at me from my left. I saw the strike coming from a mile away, and as the CQC specialist, the lumbering swing of a large, slow, Ursa seemed _painfully_ slow.

So, in response to the attack, I spun and ducked under the swing with contemptuous ease, and as I counter attack I simultaneously slashed my axe at it's armpit for the limb trying to strike me down. The heated blade cut deep into it's body, slicing through hide, muscle, tendon, and bone, before the Dust triggered against the Grimm. The result?

After cutting of the bear's massive left arm, the stump of a shoulder it had remaining burst into flames. Flames which quickly traveled to the rest of the beast. Ignoring the cries of the immolating Ursa, I resumed my sprint to the Death Stalker, which was still attempting to break out of it's frosty cage.

Before it could, however, I jumped and landed on top of it's face. I pointed my Llosgi at it, shoving it directly into the epicenter of Ymir's strike, and pulled the trigger. Two massive blasts of Dragon's Breath shells blasted directly into it's ice covered face. Dragon's Breath being another special variant of Dust ammunition, one which also reacted quite violently when introduced to more active Dust.

The small, focused, fiery explosion wasn't very big, but when the Fire Dust interacted with the Ice Dust, the reaction started immediately. Glowing red cracks appeared in the ice covering the Death Stalker, quickly spreading to encompass it's entire body. Before it could blow, I jumped off it's back, landing a few yards from the Grimm. Not a second later, the Death Stalker detonated just like the King Taijitu, in an icy explosion, one which took out several Beowolves surrounding it.

Turning around, I managed to catch Robin detonating the Ursa I had lit on fire with his Bloody Marian. The _Crack_ of the Indra round get lodged in its side was all the warning it got before the fire Dust and lightning Dust violently reacted, causing the bear to exploded into a massive, bloody, meaty , fireball. One that got a few other Grimm around it too.

The series of Dust explosions going off so close together cleared the area around quite a bit, allowing us to take a breath and reload. I switched back to my Mawr, put in a fresh mag, and looked around for a bit.

With us coming in with reinforcements, things didn't look too terrible. The grunts were doing a good job working with what few hunters were injured to keep the medics safe as they did their best to perform triage. The gunships were providing covering fire, killing scores of Grimm as they left the forest, but even still, some got through. Considering how many were pouring out of those woods, we likely wouldn't be able to hold this position long. Once the gunships ran out of ammunition, we would be swamped with a massive flood of Grimm I doubted we would be able to handle.

I was about to voice this opinion to Robin when the comm crackled to life.

"Guys, I just got word that from the pilots that the tornado's heading our way. Fast." He explained.

"Are we pulling out?" Ymir asked, his voice rumbling through the comm.

"Don't have much choice. I'd prefer to leave before the gunships run out of ammo, or before the Tornado screws up our pilot's ability to fly even more. I mean, they're good, but there's only so much they can do." Robin explained.

"So, I guess we're cutting our loses?" I offered.

I heard Robin sigh loudly over the comm.

"Looks that way. As much as I might want to take my time and make sure I got all my ducks in a row, the rest of the universe doesn't appear to agree with that sentiment." He reluctantly agreed as he looked off toward the incoming cyclone.

Then he turned back to us and said, "But, we still got a job to do. We need to keep everyone else covered as the pull out. We're the last out, but that shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"That just means we get to kill more shit." I responded with a grin.

"It's what we're here for." Ymir stoically agreed.

"That's what I like to hear." Robin relied, his own grin evident in his voice.

And with that, we resumed our littled slaughter, working together to take down every Grimm in our way with contemptuous ease. Compared to fighting a human opponent, one with Aura, they were laughably simple and easy to kill.

The only real problem they gave us was the fact that there was so damned many of them. If we had been there for more than a few minutes, we would have probably been overwhelmed. Then again, hold the line tactics aren't exactly the specialty of Watchmen, so that isn't terribly surprising.

Fortunately, after a minute or two, mostly everyone else had cleared out. It was just us, the few hunters still in fighting form, the gunships to give us covering fire, and two Bullheads to get us all out of here.

"Alright guys, let's pull back." Robin ordered over the comm.

"Can do." I replied as I began to turn back, but, as I did, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye.

Something white.

"Wait, I think I got something." I said as I turned to it, raising my rifle to get a better view of it.

"What is it?" Robin asked, pausing to give me covering fire.

I zoomed in the scope and looked for that flash of white. Then, I spotted it.

"What the hell?" I muttered under my breath.

"What is it?" Robin asked.

It was...a white Beowolf.

I think. It _looked_ like a Beowolf, but it was...different. It was completely white, and not because of it's armored plates or anything, no. It's normally onyx black fur was alabaster white. It's normally red markings and eyes were black, black as a starless night.

And it was just standing there.

Watching us.

Watching me.

I could see it in it's eyes, there was _something_ there, something most Grimm lacked. An intelligence that was beyond most of them. There wasn't uncontrollable hunger or hate in it's eyes, it wasn't struggling to hold back it's desire to rend me to shreds. Instead, it seemed to watch me like a predator, an intelligent, cunning, predator.

It was a look I'd seen many times before, and time and experience had taught me that that look meant nothing but trouble. Some people might have become curious about it, wondering what it wanted. Not me. I saw a Grimm doing weird shit, and those two things should _not_ go together.

"White Beowolf in front of me, marking it now." I said as I activated the marking feature on my HUD, allowing me to designate target for my teammates.

The second I said that I began to lay down fire on it in short controlled bursts. It was at the edge of my range, _just_ far enough for my to hit it with Mawr. As the incendiary rounds traveled to the target I waited to see how it would react to getting fired on.

I never got the chance.

I flash of lightning going off in front of my blinded me for a moment. A second later my helmet speakers dampened the sound of the rumbling thunder that accompanied it. But, the instant the light from the lightning was gone, so too was the white Grimm.

"The Fuck?" I wondered.

"Jack?" Robin asked.

"It's gone." I explained.

"The Beowolf?" He asked.

"Yeah, it just...disappeared." I said, mystified.

"Well, just be glad it _isn't_ eating your face. You can worry about the rest later." Robin replied.

"Got it boss." I said absentmindedly.

And with that, we turned and got on board our Bullhead. As the other one took off, I saw two hunters approaching ours. Normally, I might have been a bit irritated at the idea of having some of them riding with us. But, seeing the looks on their faces changed my mind pretty quickly.

It was a green haired man with glasses and some sort of flaming spear thing, and that blond woman with the glasses and wand. Each of them looked like they were walking away from a crushing defeat, which, in a way, they were. They may have gotten out alive, but by no stretch of the imagination could anyone truly call this a "victory".

So, we let them get on board, and a moment later the craft shook as we began to take off. As we did the woman kept looking into the forest, desperately searching for something.

Only when the doors closed and we left the forest behind did she stop and turn away from the window. For a minute, we rode in an uncomfortable silence. Then, Robin decided to speak up.

"So how many did we leave behind?" He asked somberly.

The woman looked down and took a deep breath.

"24. 24 students didn't get on a transport." She replied

Then she lowered her head, hiding her eyes from us as she whispered with shaky breath, "Including Ru-...Lilith."

Then she turned from us and held her head in her hands.

Before I could absorb the fact that we had left 12 kids back there to die, my curiosity got the best of me as I wondered about that name.

Turning to the green haired huntsman, I decided, against my better judgment, to ask, "Who's Lilith?"

The green haired man looked at me uncomfortably before glancing toward the woman.

"Lilith is..." He began, pausing for a second.

"Lilith is Ms. Goodwitch's niece. She is...was...one of the initiates this year." He explained, gesturing towards the woman.

"O-oh."

What else could I say?

Suddenly, I felt like a real asshole for asking about her niece, who she had just left behind in that hell.

Turning to her, I apologized sincerely, "I'm so sorry for your loss."

But she didn't even look up, didn't even respond. Can't say I was surprised. I don't even know how I would react if I was in a situation like that.

Then it the severity of the situation hit me. They had suffered tremendous and severe casualties. I suddenly realized how fucked up this whole situation had become for them. It was so bad they had to ask us, the _Watchmen_ , to help them. And even then, we couldn't save everyone.

I sighed, realizing how true my earlier thought was.

_Truly, there was no glory won here. Only losses minimized._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, so this is Scene 15: Blackened Glory.
> 
> We got a bit more Torchwick
> 
> Team WVYR got out safe and sound.
> 
> Most everyone else didn't.
> 
> Ms. Goodwitch did, but a lot of the student body is dead now.
> 
> Yeah, I kinda killed a lot of kids.
> 
> Not sorry.
> 
> At all.
> 
> Not even a little bit.
> 
> Oh, and the Watchmen finally did things.
> 
> Awesome things.
> 
> In case your wondering, "What happened to team ANBL? Why didn't they get on a transport?" Well, the answer to that question is coming next scene.
> 
> Also known as the scene in which I wrap up Act I.
> 
> Scene 16's going to be pretty awesome.
> 
> Oh, and the things that happened here are going to have an impact on the rest of the school year.
> 
> This is setting a precedent for how the rest of the story will probably go.
> 
> The story is going to split off the rails from cannon even more so from here on out, and it's not going to a place filled with sunshine and rainbows.


	16. Scene 16: White Washed Lives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As we reach the Finale of the Emerald Forest Arc, and Act I in all its glory, we find ourselves looking back at the story of Team ANBL as we see their fate.

**Jaune pov**

I was running as hard as I could, pushing myself through the fierce winds, struggling to get to Blake before the Death Stalker ended her.

_I can't let it take her! I can't let it do it again!_ I thought, my own desperation driving me beyond the bounds of my fear.

I had already watched this monster kill Pyrrha, I couldn't let it kill Blake. It didn't matter if I had to literally throw myself in the path of its blow, I just couldn't bear to see _another_ person die in front of me.

But I was too slow, and I wasn't going to make it. The howling winds kept pushing me back and holding me down. The Death Stalker was already upon her. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as it loomed over her like death itself.

"BLAKE!" I kept shouting, running my throat ragged as I screamed it over and over again, hoping beyond hope that it would do _something_.

But my voice was drowned out and stolen by the howling winds. They damped every sound into nothingness, leaving me in a mute world of roaring deafness. But something stood out, something that wasn't just the roaring winds.

It was humming static that sounded in my ears, sounding like it was coming from right next to me. At first, it was a whisper coming from everywhere. But, as it grew in intensity, I noticed it had an origin. An origin that lay to my right.

I slowly turned my eyes over there, glancing in that direction, and found something surprising at its end.

Lilith.

She was standing there, arm outstretched and hand open. Her eyes were closed, and she was murmuring something. With each word, the static grew ever louder, soon surpassing the roaring winds in intensity.

Then, she opened her eyes.

Lilith opened her eyes, and instead of being a hollow silver, now they were a pure, solid, silvery white. There was no white, no iris, and no pupil. Nothing but that disquieting silver white that shook me to my core.

The second she opened her eyes, the entire world grew deathly quiet. No static, no wind, not even a heartbeat, nothing. It's like all sound had been driven from this world, too scared to act.

Then, out of the deadly silence, there was a deafening _Snap_

Then everything exploded in light.

_ **CRACK!** _

Just before it did, however, I was treated to an incredible sight.

It was only an instant, a flash, but it would forever be burned into my mind.

A giant crimson bolt of lightning arced down from dark, angry, skies above me. It stuttered its way down, stitching its way through the sky in a jagged pattern. It carved its way down through the air, burning it with its very presence, before it finally ended its journey.

At the Death Stalker's stinger.

The Death Stalker's stinger, raised high into the air, was the target for the massive, blinding, powerful bolt of lightning. The raw power of the sky's wrath poured into the Grimm, surging and burning through its tail, causing some places in its tail to burst open from its power. Several red arcs of lightning shot off from its tail halfway down, shooting to other parts of the scorpion.

It's as if the sky came down to smite the ancient beast, sending power it couldn't hope to handle through its body.

It was beautiful.

But standing so close to such magnificent beauty came with a cost. After the sight, came the blinding, burning light that out shined the sun in both intensity and fury. It burned my eyes, and made my skin tingle with its power and might.

Then, barely an instant later, came the sound. It hit me in a shock wave, rumbling through my body and shaking my being with frightening force. The sheer volume of the sound _hurt_ , if only for an instant.

Unable to stand these things, I flinched violently, instinctively trying to protect myself.

When the light and fury passed, I opened my eyes once more, and lay witness to the scene before me.

The Death Stalker's tail had exploded, and the stump connected to its body was smoldering. There were several large, still smoking, black burn scars all over its alabaster shell. There were several cracks in its armor, as well as a few places were its armor _melted_. One of its claws looks particularly badly injured, having large cracks, burns, and fractures all over it.

But the Grimm itself had gone dark. Its legs had collapsed under it, and it no longer glowed at all. It lay there, stilled and smoking.

_Is it dead?_ I wondered, looking at its immobile form.

Before I could ponder that any further, I saw a patch of white in the blackened dirt. That's when I remembered someone who had been on the brink of death not two seconds ago.

"Blake!" I shouted again, my voice rough and pained. I could barely hear it over my ringing ears and howling winds.

She lay there, curled up and unmoving in front of the Grimm. Her eyes were closed shut, her skin red, and a burn mark on her arm.

I ran to her, forgetting everything else as I thought one, terrible, pained, thought.

_Blake, please don't be dead. Please, God, don't let her be dead._

I ran up, falling down and kneeling on the ground beside her. I grabbed onto her arms, shaking her, trying to rouse her from death. Her skin wasn't just warm, but hot to the touch, but I ignored the pain as I screamed her name.

As I ran my throat ragged shouting at her, I could feel my eyes watering again, already fearing the worst.

Then, she moved.

She stirred, and her eyes cracked open just a bit, giving me a peek of her amber orbs that seemed to shine gold in this light.

_She's alive._ I thought with relief.

I couldn't help but smile widely as I was hit with this overwhelming relief, to know that something had finally gone _right_.

"Blake, are you okay?' I asked her, having to yell over the sound of the wind and the ringing in my own ears.

She looked at me blearily, blinking profusely. She said something to me slowly, but I couldn't hear her. She looked dazed, still recovering from the effects of being a few feet from a lightning strike.

I couldn't really blame her, she was much closer than me, and I was still trying to get over the ringing in my ears and the spots in my vision.

I got up, lending a hand down to her to help her up. Shook her head a few times, blinking some more, before she slowly began to take my hand.

Then her eyes shot wide open, and she pulled me down. Not expecting her to do that, I stumbled and fell on top of her. Surprised by this turn of events, I blinked and shook my head, trying to regain my own bearings. I turned to her, a question in my mouth, before I saw the look on her face.

Before I could comprehend it, she turned to me with grit teeth and snarl before pushing me away from her, forcing me to roll to the side over the wet rocks and dirt of Pyrrha's tomb. I looked at her again, bewildered, wondering one thing.

_What did I do?_

This was answered when a giant, blood stained claw slammed down where I had been laying not a moment ago, cutting off my view of her.

I quickly turned my head back up to see its source, and to my ever increasing horror, the Death Stalker was somehow still alive.

"How the fuck are you still alive?!" I shouted fearfully.

Still, the sound of my voice was almost completely drowned out by ringing in my ears, and the roaring winds. I couldn't even hear the sound of its claw smashing down on the ground right next to me.

It's like the whole world was filled with a loud silence.

Regardless, it was hurt, that was obvious, but somehow it clung to life. Only three of its original ten eyes were alight with hate any more, but that was more than enough to kill the two of us.

The two of us were defenseless, and right in its grasp. We were helpless to its will.

So, as I gazed up into the three, glowing red eyes of my soon-to-be killer, I saw something that threw my heart even further into the pit of despair. There, in the distance, was a funnel cloud. The tornado had almost completely formed. It would only take a handful minutes for it to fully form. In summary:

We were fucked

Completely, utterly, fucked.

If the Death Stalker didn't kill us, then the Tornado would catch us and do the job for it. That said, I didn't really see how we could get out of this.

_Well Pyrrha, I guess we'll be joining you after all_. I thought slowly beginning to accept that death was inevitable.

No sooner had I thought that, however, than did a few rocks roll down the pile of dirt and stone, and fall on me. Curious despite the situation and my growing despair, I decided to look up at see what caused. I was in no way prepared for the sight that greeted me.

It was a bloody hand, digging its way out of the dirt.

A thousand different thoughts exploded into my mind at once. Ranging from, hopeful to fearful. Most of all I wondered, _She's alive?_

How could she be? I saw her get pounded into the ground, get turned into little more than a stain in the dirt. The Death Stalker had certainly taken its time making sure she was good and dead, and yet, here she was. Awake and alive.

Pushing a few more stones out of the way, another joined it.

I glanced back to the Death Stalker, only to find it starring at the sight as well. It looked…confused…by this. Not entirely sure how to respond to this.

I saw Blake, looking at the scene with wide eyes and a mouth just slightly opened. Then, seeing another burst of movement out of the corner of my eyes, I turned back to the mound.

And there I saw her, pulling herself out of a hole she had dug in her grave. Her hair had fallen out of the normal ponytail, and instead her dirty, tangled, scarlet locks simply fell from her head.

Her armor and clothes were in tatters, and she was practically naked, her modesty barely intact. Normally, seeing a girl like that would cause me to blush and look away fiercely, and possibly some other, less appropriate things as well, but now?

There was nothing embarrassing or arousing about her appearance.

She was covered from head to toe in a thick, bloody mud that hid her skin from us. She was hunched over, her back arched, and her eyes were closed as she sucked in breath after breath of precious air. Her feet were still in the hole, but I had no doubt that her shoes and greaves had suffered the same fate as her skirt, corset, or bracers.

Then she stood up, stepping out of the hole fully. She stood tall, seeming taller than before, and glared at the Death Stalker.

No, glare doesn't feel like the right word, it feels too…soft.

No, she looked at it with a snarl filled with fury and vengeance. There was no trace of kindness, generosity, of softness in her. She looked at it with a furious, contained, roiling rage that ignored all things.

Her eyes were shadowed by her long hair, but her mouth was pulled into a snarl, exposing her teeth. Teeth she was gritting so hard I could practically _feel_ them grinding together, teeth that looked just a little sharper and more predatory than they should. Her fists were constantly clenching and unclenching, flexing the tight coils of muscle in her hands and arms.

She seemed to…radiate…this dark field of wrath and fury. It was dark, gritty, and filled with rolling fury. This power just _rolled_ off her form, coming off in vague, ghostly whips of obsidian waves.

Then, with a flick of her wrist, something flew into her hand. On closer inspection, it was her javelin which she had dropped when she was first hit by the Death Stalker's claws.

Then, without another word, she lunged at the Grimm. She flew from her former tomb, flying straight toward the Grimm with a snarl of fury and wrath. The Death Stalker retaliated by trying to strike at her with its claw, the more damaged one. A fatal mistake.

In a flash of movement, she threw her javelin arm down, thrusting it toward the claw. Instead of bouncing off its armor, however, like every other attack aimed at them, this one hit right in between the newly formed cracks of it carapace. The spear dug in, and propelled by the force of Pyrrha's wrath, and broke through the chink in its armor.

The spear continued onward, penetrating through the rest of the claw before bursting out the opposite end of the claw. But it didn't stop. It kept going, Pyrrha kept pushing it onward and downward. Eventually she pushed the spear, and the claw it had skewered, deep into the ground, nailing its claw in place.

Fluidly following up, Pyrrha let go of the javelin, and shifted her stance, stepping closer to the Death Stalker's face. As the alabaster scorpion no doubt screeched in agony, she reared back he left hand with an open palm.

Then I saw her left arm become thickly wrapped in bands of her dark aura, bathing it in black. Under the obsidian aura, however, was a disgusting sight. Her skin was writhing and wriggling as something under the surface churned. Then it all pulled back towards the elbow of her arm, building up pressure there.

Then, without another word, she threw her palm forward, slamming it against the head of the pinned scorpion with all the force she could muster. She pushed her entire body into this strike, twisting it and throwing at the alabaster shell. The second her palm touched the "face" of the Death Stalker the bands of dark aura around her arm pulsed, and then-

_SPLAT!_

The front "face" of the Death stalker exploded in a small fountain of blood, showering the girl in it. The underbelly of the Grimm burst open, dropping its various organs, spilling it all onto the ground beneath it in a small waterfall of gore.

The legs of the Death Stalker quivered as the light in its red eyes began to die. Then, with one last twitch, it fell to the ground dead.

Pyrrha, in response, just stood over its body, starring at it. After a couple seconds, she turned to its claw and pulled her javelin from it in one almighty, if wet, pull. She held it in her right hand, staring at it for a second, looking it over.

Then I saw her raise her left arm, directing my attention to it, and I had to resist the urge to hurl.

Whatever she had done to the Death Stalker had taken its toll on her. Her left arm, up to her elbow, was a mangled mess of twisted flesh. Almost all the skin had been ripped off, exposing the muscles and tendons underneath, twitching in pain. In some places I could even see down to her bones.

Her hand looked even worse. All of her fingers had been bent backward or in odd angles, and they all had been similarly stripped of flesh. Blood constantly dripped from the mangled mess of flesh and bones, before being carried away by the wind.

Despite this, Pyrrha didn't seem to even mind it. She wasn't cradling her arm. Instead she just stared at it, inspecting it.

While she was, I decided to walk up to her, to try and see what I could do to help her, to see if I could comfort her at all. Seeing her again pushed out any and all thoughts of our impending doom by the hands of the sky.

"Pyrrha?" I asked, having to shout, though I no longer had to compete with the ringing in my ears.

The sound of my voice shook her out of her trance. She turned her head towards me, and though it was quick, another strong gust of wind brushed her bloody hair away, giving me a good look at her face. She only glanced at me really, it was only a second. But that's all she needed to stop me dead.

She didn't meet me with soft, kind, caring emerald eyes, nor a smile of recognition or relief. Instead, I was met with something else.

Her face covered in the same dark, dirty, bloody mud as the rest of her body, but that's not what was so unsettling about her, not what was so…frightening.

Instead, it was the cold, dark, unforgiving frown on her face. It held no recognition, it barely held any interest. Like I was interrupting her while she was busy with something. Even worse were her narrowed eyes.

Her cold, dark, and crimson eyes. Not like a fiery scarlet red or anything, no. They were a dark bloody red, so dark that in places they looked black. They didn't rage like a fire, instead they roiled like the ocean.

Yes, that's exactly what they reminded me of, an ocean of blood, tossing and turning, deep, dark, and cold. Unforgiving, and merciless.

And she looked at _me_ with those eyes, with that cold detached look.

I could tell that she wasn't angry at me or anything, just mildly annoyed by my presence. She didn't have that fearsome snarl on her like she did before. That said, given the look she was giving me, I didn't want to take my chances.

I can't say I knew Pyrrha very well, I only actually met her this morning, but for the entire day she had been kind and sweet. She was confident and efficient when fighting Grimm, but was always slightly…shy…when talking with others. Actually, I'm not sure if shy is the right word.

Perhaps…nervous? Inexperienced? I don't know, I couldn't really put my finger on it, but she didn't seem to carry that same confidence when talking to people as she did when slaying Grimm.

Whatever it was, there wasn't even the barest trace of any of that.

Then again, I suppose I can't really blame her. She did get beaten to near death by a Death Stalker. I also supposed that our situation would put anyone in a bad mood. Still, her eyes…

I _know_ they were green before, and yet, I _know_ they're red right now.

Her gaze stopped me in my tracks, making me second guess any decision revolving around approaching her. My position was soon solidified by what she did next.

She looked back away from me, turning towards her hand once again. She stabbed her Javelin deep into the ground, before moving her right hand to her left. Then she grabbed onto one of her twisted fingers and _Snapped!_ It back into position.

She didn't even flinch at the pain.

Instead she just looked it over, making sure it was in the right position, before moving onto the next. It was sickening to look at. Even if Pyrrha didn't mind the pain, I did, and I couldn't stand here watching her do this. It _hurt_ just watching her do it.

"Pyrr-" I began again, trying to convince her to stop, or that she needed medical attention, or something.

It died when she glanced at me again with another frown. She went no further than that, but seeing her bloodstained face giving me a half-hearted glare was more than enough to convince me to stop.

So stop I did, and instead I looked away, unable to bear looking at it any more.

I glanced toward Blake to see what she thought of it. She was looking at Pyrrha warily, her eyes narrowed and her mouth pressed into a firm line. When she caught my eye, she read the look on my face and shook her head, silently telling me to just move on and let her do it.

That's when I remembered Lilith.

_Shit! Where is she! Is she okay?_ I questioned as my eyes shot open in panic.

Looking around frantically, trying to find the red cloaked girl, I finally spotted her to my left. She was on her knees down in the dirt, her face shrouded in shadow, simply hanging there limply.

I ran to her, fearing that she was hurt or injured. She might even be scared, like she was back when she asked me to protect her. So, pushing through he thick winds, I screamed "LILITH!" trying to get her attention.

But she didn't respond, causing my heart to sink.

I kneeled down to her, getting onto her level, and gently grasped her shoulders.

"Lilith!" I shouted again, trying to get her attention.

She stirred slightly, signaling she was alive. I brought a hand up to her chin, raising it up so I could get a good look at her face.

When I did, my heart cracked.

Her face was pale, even more so than before. Blood was steadily streaming from her nose. She was bleeding from her eyes and ears. Her silver eyes were unfocused and distant.

"Lilith!" I said again, my voice cracking in concern

Her head turned slowly toward me, but her eyes seemed to gaze past me somewhat blankly.

"H-hello J-jack? No, I remember, Y-you're…Dean." She managed to stutter out in a slow pained voice, as if she was struggling to talk.

"Dean? I-" I began to say

"Sshh, no, I need to…to tell you…something…important." She began to say before she was wracked by a small coughing fit.

Each hoarse cough flung a spattering of blood onto the ground, staining it red. When she was done, there was a small trickle of blood working its way down the side of her mouth.

"Lilith, you need to just…just calm down, and relax, okay?' I told her, panicking. I had no idea what was happening to her, but even I could tell it wasn't good. It looked like she was falling apart, that she was dying.

"No, no listen." She insisted before hacking up another glob of crimson fluids.

Each time she did I couldn't help but wince at the rough, wet, sound of her coughing, at the sight of her slowly dying.

"J-Dean, there's a-a...thing…further down the…path…" She continued incessantly, her words slow and confused.

"You're not making any sense. Just, stop talking, you need to rest." I insisted, breaking inside at the sight of this.

Of all of them, Lilith had looked like she was the most fine, that she was going to be okay, but now she was falling to pieces. It felt like out of nowhere, she suddenly became the one in danger of dying, and I just wasn't ready for that. I wasn't ready for _any_ of them dying.

Hell, I wasn't ready for any of this. This was hell to me. Everyone was getting hurt and dying around me, and no matter how much I tried I couldn't save them. I was helpless, no matter how hard I tried.

"No, no, it's important, just-just stay to the….left." She insisted, somewhat unsure. She seemed to glance off to the side, considering something with her unfocused gaze, before turning back to me more confident.

"No, I'm sure, just stay left." She responded, her voice growing more hoarse and weak.

"Just stay left for what?" I pleaded, not understanding any of this.

"T-there's a-a-a-" She tried to explain, but ended up stuttering into nothing.

She pulled her hands back, and brought them up to her head, clenching her skull tightly at some unseen pain. She hunched over again in agony and began to moan painfully through grit teeth.

She started to shake violently as more blood started to pour through her teeth, from her eyes, nose, and throat, along with some kind of clear fluid. Her eyes were wide open, and flitting about widely.

Then, her eyes rolled up to the back of her head, and she collapsed into my arms.

"Lilith! LILITH!" I shouted

_No no no nonono! She can't be dead! Everyone was fine, we going to make it! This can't be happening!_ I thought, panicking

But no matter how loud I shouted, she didn't respond. I tried to check for a pulse, for any sign she was okay after that. But I didn't know what I was doing, and I couldn't find anything. She didn't look like she was breathing. She was just lying in my arms, an expression of frozen agony on her face as crimson fluids continued to slowly ooze from her orifices.

"BLAKE!" I shouted with all my might through the storm, turning behind me, seeking her aid in desperation.

Blake turned to me, standing up after looking for something in the dirt. Noting her weapons in her hands, I figured it was them. She had a question on her face as she looked at me with a raised brow. Then she spotted the red cloaked girl in my arms, her eyes shooting open in concern. Without wasting anymore time she ran over to me.

"Jaune! What happened?!" She asked, concern all over her face.

"I-I don't know. She started bleeding from everywhere, saying things about something further down the ravine. Then she started shaking a-and bleeding more and then she just-she just." I frantically said, fear taking hold within me and polluting everything I did.

"Jaune, just calm down, let me take a look." She said, kneeling down to me.

"I-is she dead?" I asked hesitantly, fearing the answer. "She can't be dead."

Blake ignored me, and instead reached down to her neck, and lowered her head down to Lilith's mouth. After a moment of concentration, her concerned frown soften, and she let out a breath.

"Well?" I asked impatiently.

"She has a pulse and she's breathing. Its weak, _really_ weak, but she's alive." She explained, looking back up to me.

I let out a large breath of relief.

_Thank god she's alive. She's really alive. We made it_. I thought.

Then Blake glanced up again and frowned.

"But we won't be if we don't hurry." She said.

Worried about what await me, I glanced up. To my horror, the funnel cloud had just finished forming, and was now actively tearing the forest apart. In the distance I could see it tearing countless tress from the forest before tossing them into the distance. Worse still, it was moving.

And it was coming toward us.

It didn't look like it was moving fast, but that might have been because it was big and far way.

_CRUNCH!_

The impact of a dead Ursa, thrown by the cyclone, near us shook that idea from my mind. It hit the ground so hard it splattered slightly, becoming one with the ground. That's all it took to convince me to get the hell out of here.

"I think we should leave. Now." I said, picking up Lilith in my arms, cradling her.

"We won't make it to the evacuation site. It's at least 8 minutes away by foot." She responded darkly.

"We might not have to." I said, recalling what Lilith was saying.

She might have been half out of her mind from…whatever…it was that hit her, but it's not like we have many options.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Before… _it_ happened, Lilith told me there was something further down in the ravine, on the left. She passed out before she could tell me what it was." I told her, looking down at Lilith as I thought of her.

"What makes you think she knows anything?" She asked, raising a brow in skepticism`

"I had already talked with Lilith a bunch yesterday. Apparently she's been staying here, in Beacon, with her aunt for a month or so. She said she's gone into the Emerald forest before. Maybe she knows something about the terrain, some kind of safe spot we can stay in." I explained, rationalizing how she could save us.

Blake thought for a second, before she said, "It's not like we have many other options."

I broke into a small smile, happy that we had a plan now.

"Okay, then we should probably move now. Can you grab my weapons, though? I kinda have my hands full." I asked, shifting Lilith to make my point.

Blake nodded in assent before moving forward towards where they lay. Not wasting time watching her, I shifted Lilith in my arms again until I felt comfortable with her weight in my arms. With that accomplished, I made my way further down the small valley, running through the harsh winds as hard as I could.

Seeing Pyrrha in front of me with her spear and shield enveloped in a black field on her back, digging through the rubble of her former grave, I tried to get her attention.

"Pyrrha! We need to go!" I shouted at her. I didn't know what she was doing, but we didn't have the time to waste standing around.

She glanced up at my with those dark crimson eyes, before standing back up, something bronze now in her undamaged hand. Her left hand looked…better…in a way. It was still devoid of skin, and heavily mangled, but all her fingers were in place and seemed to be moving fine, if stiffly.

She glanced back at the tornado behind me, before looking back toward me silently. Apparently seeing the wisdom in my words, she nodded in assent, before moving. Though I passed her, a quick glance behind me showed me that she was just a few feet behind me. I could also see Blake with my sword and shield quickly gaining ground behind me.

But the tornado loomed dangerously behind her, sending debris flying in every direction as it raged through the forest.

Turning to look back in front of me, I narrowly dodged an incoming tree trunk landing in front of me, stripped of its leaves, limbs, and branches. I couldn't even hear it land, only the tremor it sent through the door.

The storm was raging in my ear even louder than before, howling madly. I could _hear_ the Tornado behind me, slowly gaining ground, as the winds tried harder and harder to carry me off.

Soon, in I could see a divide up ahead. One direction went towards the evac site, heading right. The other, turned left, heading the complete opposite direction.

_This must have been what you meant_.

Normally, I would have definitely headed right in the possibly foolish hope of arriving at the evac zone.

But Lilith's voice sounded once again in my mind, telling me to go left. So I did.

_You had better have been right about this Lilith, or we're all going to die._

So, I ran down the left path, running away from the evacuation zone, and potentially into my death. As I ran harder and harder, trying to push through the rising winds, I could feel my lungs greedily sucking in air, my legs burning from the use.

Lilith was weighing me down, slowing me and making this harder than it would have been without her. That said, I didn't mind the pain. I'd rather feel a burning in my legs than leave her behind.

As I continued to run down the path, I frantically searched left and right, trying to find any sign of what Lilith was telling us about. I tried to find even the tiniest hope of survival, but my hopes were quickly dying.

The tornado kept roaring in my ears, growing ever louder, constantly reminding me of my impending doom. I couldn't find anything that could save us. I was beginning to doubt.

_So is this it? Were you wrong Lilith? Are we to die here?_ I wondered fearfully as despair took hold once more.

I was shaken out of my thoughts by Blake.

"Jaune!" She shouted over the storm, her novice barely audible over the incessant howling.

I turned to her, hoping she found something. I saw her pointing at something to our left.

"Cave!" She shouted, beginning to run toward it.

Following her direction, I saw it. It was a black hole in the grey, stony, wall of the ravine. On the outside were several red and black symbols, though from here I couldn't tell what they meant or said. Nor did I particularly care.

That cave meant shelter, it mean safety, it meant _survival_.

"Oh Lilith, you brilliant magnificent girl you!" I exclaimed, feeling that glimmer of hope surge back.

Ignoring the increasing pull of the winds, and the deafening howling around me, I ran forward towards the cave. As I approached it, I soon began to have problems breathing. The wind was keeping me from breathing in air. It pulled the air away harder than I could inhale it, making each breath shallower in a time I needed more than ever.

Still, I pushed forward, running towards the cave with all my might. Blake and Pyrrha got there before me, not being encumbered by carrying another person.

As my lungs burned for breath, I could feel my vision begin to dim. I started to feel a sense of weightlessness as I started to lose traction, the wind picking me up. I could see Blake screaming at me, but the roar of the Tornado was too much.

I was so close to safety, to getting out of this alive, but it was too late. I was already in the twister's grasp, and it was pulling me far away.

_No No No! Come On! I'm so close! I can do this! Dammit I can do this! I can't let it end now, not when I'm so close!_ I thought, panic and despair filling my being again as I realized I could do nothing.

The tornado was holding me a few inches above the air. I desperately kicked towards the ground flailing as I continued to lose my breath. The world darkened around me, and I began to lose my strength. I could feel the storm trying to pull Lilith from my grasp, but I tightened my grip.

I curled myself around her. If we were going to be pulled into the twister then the least I could do was try and protect her with my body. I would try to do everything in my power to save her, regardless of how weak I really am.

Then I felt a tingling sensation across my skin _._ I blinked my eyes open, narrowing them _just_ enough to see what was going on. I was enveloped in the black field, the same one Pyrrha had. Glancing down, I saw her in the cave, enveloped in a similar field with her hand outstretched.

Then she _pulled_ her hand back towards her. An action, by body mirrored. I was pulled through the storm by this field, ripped from the cyclone's grasp, and sent hurtling towards the cave entrance. Closing my eyes once again, curling up around Lilith, I desperately tried to shelter her from the impact.

Not a moment later I collided with the hard, stony, floor inside the cave. The instant I entered, the deafening howling wind relented, leaving my ears and my body.

Then, I hit the ground, and my world went black.

* * *

**Blake pov**

When Jaune got picked up with Lilith in his arms by the twister as it raged just outside the entrance, I felt my heart stop. They was so _close_ , they had almost made it, but now the tornado was going to take them from us.

I considered using my Gambol Shroud's kusarigama form to pull them in somehow, but there was no way I'd be able to in the crazy winds pulling them away. Even worse I'd probably just get pulled in with them. So instead I stood there, looking at them in horror, not knowing what to do.

Then, Jaune and Lilith became enveloped in that black Aura Pyrrha had. It covered the two of them from head to toe, and anchored them in place, keeping the cyclone from pulling them even further away.

I turned my head, looking back at Pyrrha, who was similarly covered in her dark Aura. She had her hand outstretched to them, as if she was reaching out and grabbing them. She had a calm, determined frown on her bloodied face.

Then with one almighty pull, they came hurtling toward us. I stepped out of the way just as they passed by. They soon slammed into the floor, Jaune taking the impact back first, shielding Lilith with his body. Jaune was knocked out on impact, involuntarily uncurling and releasing Lilith from his grasp.

I turned toward Pyrrha, looking at her slightly differently. I wasn't entirely sure what to make of her right now. Ever since she seemed to come back from the dead, she's been different.

_Very_ different.

Whereas before, my instincts would occasionally tell me to beware of her, now they were on constant alert. They were practically screaming at me that she could kill me at any minute. Even stranger was the change in her eye color. The change in demeanor could be easily explained as resulting from the stress of the situation. After all, she did almost die, twice.

But the eye color was something special. They had been emerald green, a very _soft_ and _kind_ emerald green. Now, however, they were a cold and raging dark bloody red. It was like an enhanced version of that look she gave me in the forest, the one of a killer.

Seeing her like this removed all doubt from my mind. Whoever Pyrrha Nikos was, and despite how kind she may appear at times, she was a cold-blooded killer with experience at heart.

So it came to my surprise when she saved Jaune and Lilith. I honestly thought she would have left them to die, given her current demeanor. Perhaps she has some sort of ulterior motive? Lilith _is_ her teammate, and we _are_ a team. Perhaps she sees strategic value in keeping us all alive.

That said, I shouldn't really jump to conclusions. I've only known her for a few hours, and in that time I've seen so many mind-boggling contradictions come from her. I can't really be too sure of anything, other than one, single, absolute fact.

Pyrrha Nikos is dangerous.

But, no matter how dangerous she might be, she _is_ my teammate, and more importantly, she saved them.

"Thank you." I say to her.

She glances in my direction with those cold crimson eyes, just barely inclining her head in acknowledgement, before looking back ahead. She walks forward, grabbing Jaune with her undamaged hand after dropping her bronze headpiece in his lap. She drags him back further into the darkness of the cave.

Seeing her walk into the darkness without hesitation or fear causes me to have another thought.

_Is she even human?_ I considered.

Considering the fact she's walking into near pitch darkness like it's a well-lit room, it's a legitimate question. I can see ahead just fine, but that's thanks to my night-vision granted to me by virtue of my race. If Pyrrha can do the same, perhaps she has night vision herself. While it's not exactly an absolute sign of Faunus heritage, it is a well-known aspect of being a Faunus.

Combined with her teeth I saw earlier when she snarled at the Death Stalker, the idea quickly becomes more legitimate. Her teeth were sharper than a normal human's were. Not exactly at the point where they were rows of razor sharp fangs, but they had a noticeably predatory edge to them.

Most people thought that all Faunus had obvious animal traits. The fact was, most did, but it wasn't unheard of for things to be more...subtle. Sometimes, all that stood out about them was being slightly hairier, or having sharper teeth.

That said, it's not a solid case, just enough to raise my interests.

As she was right now there seemed to be some kind of indistinct primal aspect about her, but I really can't put my finger on it. It's really just one of the many questions I have for her.

Shaking my head, I push these thoughts from my mind. Instead, I pick up Lilith and carry her deeper into the shelter of the cave. I stop near a small underground lake, deep enough into the cave to turn the howling winds into a distant, quiet, dull roar.

Around the lake were some glowing fungus. While I couldn't be sure that they would provide enough light for the two humans, seeing as I could see fine regardless, it was brighter than anywhere else safe.

_It seems Pyrrha had the same idea_ I note, seeing her resting against the wall of the cave, Jaune laying near her side.

Her headpiece hung in her right hand, her javelin was resting on her shoulder and leaning against the wall, and her shield was still on her back. Her eyes were closed, and based on the slow, rhythmic breathing, she was asleep. Considering what she's been through, what _we've_ been through, I couldn't really blame her.

_I guess my questions will have to wait_

Seeing the futility in pursuing that train of thought any further, I steer away from it.

Instead, I lay Lilith against the wall of the cave. Looking down at her, I can't help but feel bad for the way I've treated her.

Whenever I looked at her, I had to keep myself from shooting her. I don't know what it is, but my instincts constantly kept telling me she was a danger, a threat, an abomination, and a monster.

And yet, right now, they were saying none of that. Right now, she just looked like a prepubescent young girl. One with trails of blood coming from her orifices. She looks so fragile, so delicate. It makes me wonder why I kept seeing her as a threat, when she looks so innocent right now.

It's not like she's done anything to me. Sure, she's given me a few odd looks, but not once has she been openly hostile. Annoyed, yes, but given the circumstances, it's not hard to see why.

Besides, if it wasn't for her, we'd probably all be dead. According to Jaune, she knew this cave was here. If we hadn't taken cover in here, then we would have surely died trying to make out to the evac zone. Plus, there's whatever she did to the Death Stalker.

It _looked_ like she called lightning down on it, but honestly, given the chaos going on at the time, I can't exactly be sure. I'd really have to ask her to be sure. But again, she's not awake.

That said, given her condition, I can't exactly be sure she _will_ wake. I've seen similar injuries on people, bleeding from the ears, nose, eyes, and mouth, and they don't always wake up from it.

_Still, the least I can do is clean her up a bit_ I think, moving toward the lake.

I tear off a scrape of my shirt. Considering the condition it's already in, barely better than rags, I'll have to replace it anyway. I dip it into the lake before walking back over to Lilith. As I slowly wash her face of bloodstains, I notice that when she's not looking at me with those hollow silver eyes, she's kind of…adorable, really.

Had I not just gotten out of a series of near death scenarios, covered in aches, bruises, and cuts, and exhausted, I might have added more to that train of thought. But right now, I was in no way shape or form in the mood for any of that more lighthearted stuff. Sure, a few jokes, jabs, and some wit to ease the tension, but I couldn't truly relax.

Not yet.

After all, what if something _lived_ in here. Given the warnings posted outside, it wasn't a low possibility.

I was torn from these thoughts when I saw a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye. Turning, I saw Jaune slowly getting up and looking around.

Seeing him awake again brought a flood of relief over me. Honestly, I was worried about him. When he hit the ground, he hit it pretty hard. But, all in all he seemed fine.

Since I was done cleaning off Lilith, I decide to walk over to him.

"Blake?" He groggily said, still getting his bearings.

"You're awake, good." I responded, crouching down beside him.

"It'd be pretty bad if you survived a tornado, only to die from the rescue." I remarked

"He he, yeah, that would suck." He chuckled, rubbing his no doubt sore back.

"You okay?" I asked, just double checking.

"Well, considering a tornado almost _ate_ me, yeah, I'd say I'm pretty fucking fine." He responded.

"Can you see okay in here?" I asked, curious.

"Yeah, actually. It's pretty beautiful down here." He commented, looking around in wonder.

It's not hard to see why he would say that. The glowing blue fungus reflected in the pool of water, giving everything a nice, cool atmosphere.

"Here are your weapons." I said as I handed them to him, abruptly changing topics.

"Oh…okay, thanks." He said, turning back to me, widening his eyes a bit in surprise.

"It's no problem." I replied

Then he looked at me quizzically, raising a brow before narrowing his eyes. Then they suddenly shot open in surprise, before he looked down with a grin.

"I am such an idiot." He chuckled, his smile taking a self-deprecating tone.

"I'm not going to deny that." I responded.

"Like, my whole family tells me I'm really dense, and I don't deny it, but it's times like this that I really realize how true it is." He continued, his laughter growing.

It was starting to get infectious, and I couldn't help but grin.

"Times like what?" I ask with a small smile.

"I-I thought…" He tried to say over his laughter.

"I thought your cat ears were a black bow!" He finally forced out before breaking down in laughter.

The second he said that, my blood froze, my eyes shot wide open, and my whole body turned pale.

" _What_." I whispered, panicking on the inside.

I slowly reached up to touch my bow, and found it gone. My little black bow, my simple disguise, gone.

"Yeah, sorry, this whole time I thought you had a black bow on your head. I didn't realize you were a Faunus." He said, sobering up.

"I feel like such a fucking idiot." He said with one final chuckle.

"I…I _did_ have a black bow." I said in horror, my heart falling into a pit.

_I must have lost it during the fight, or in the storm_. I realized

_And now it's over._

"O-oh." Jaune said, his mood quickly plummeting.

He looked down at the ground, feeling slightly ashamed.

"I'm…sorry you lost your bow. It must have meant a lot to you." He sympathized.

It did, actually. That bow was special, but, as special as it was, it wasn't my major concern.

_Now what do I do?_ I wondered, frozen in panic.

I couldn't hide my heritage from Jaune now. He already knew. Since I didn't have my bow anymore, if any of the others woke up, I couldn't really hide it from them either.

_So what do I do now? Do I tell Jaune the truth? The whole truth?_

After a moment of consideration, I realized I didn't have to. All he knew was that I was a cat Faunus. He didn't know I was in the White Fang, and he didn't have to. None of them had to.

That's when I realized something else.

Jaune didn't seem to give two shits about me being a Faunus. In fact, he laughed off the confusion, thinking he had just seen things wrong, and that he was at fault for being an idiot.

_This might not be as bad as I thought_ I realized.

"Uh, Blake?" He said, dragging me out of my thoughts.

"Y-yeah?" I responded, trying to regain my composure.

"If you want I can see about patching you up a bit.' He offered, holding up a first aid pack.

I quirked a brow at him

"Where did you get that?" I asked slowly.

"Oh, my mom packed it for me. She thought I might need it. Turns out, _surprise!_ She was right." He answered with another small grin.

"I can do it myself." I said, not wanting to be coddled.

"You sure? Your hands look kind bad." He asked, a concerned frown on his face.

I looked down at my hands to see what he was talking about, and sure enough, they were littered with cuts and even a few burns.

"When did…" I muttered, my eyes widening in surprise.

I honestly hadn't noticed them. Of course, now that I knew they were there, they hurt. A lot.

I grumbled, realizing that he was right now. Trying to treat myself would probably be a long and painful process. My pride might not like it, but it was the most efficient course of action.

"Fine." I relented, scowling.

He seemed to brighten up a bit when I relented, and quickly got to work treating my wounds, starting at my hands.

"This is probably going to hurt a bit, so…" He trailed off as he took out some anti-septic and began to apply it to my wounds.

I winced in pain, but held in any vocal response.

As he continued his work, I decided to ask him some questions.

"So Jaune…you're…okay…with me being a Faunus?" I asked slowly

My question caused him to pop up and give me a strange look.

"Huh?" He asked, his brow raised in confusion

"You seem pretty okay with me being a Faunus." I reiterated.

"Yes…why wouldn't I be?" He responded slowly, not understanding me.

"Well, a lot of people don't like Faunus. I was worried you might be one of them." I explained.

At that he nodded thoughtfully for a second, before a grin sprouted along with a chuckle.

"Well, as Lilith would say, 'most people are idiots.'" He answered cheekily

I couldn't help but give him a small chuckle at that.

"That's certainly an…interesting…viewpoint. One I can certainly agree with." I answered.

After taking a second to wrap some bandages around the burns on my hands, I spoke up again.

"So…does Lilith not care about the Faunus either?" I asked, wonder who I could trust.

He paused, stopping to think about it for a second.

"mmm…I don't think she really cares, no. I remember she showed me this white fang card, asking me what it was about-" He began.

"Wait, a White Fang card?" I interjected, instantly on guard.

"Yeah, she said pulled it off some guy that tried to mug her or something. Anyway, she didn't know much about the White Fang, and was curious about what I knew." He continued.

"And what did you tell her?" I asked growing tense, worried about how his views on them were.

As much as I realized that what the White Fang was doing was wrong, I had still been one of them. More to the point, it would let me know how they may react if they somehow managed to learn about my origins.

"Oh, you know, the basics about them being terrorists and stuff." He said dismissively.

It stung a bit, honestly, to hear him refer to them as terrorists so casually. I knew, logically, he was right, but that didn't make it hurt less.

"Anyway, Lilith's response was something like, 'Oh, so it's just more people killing people'." He finished.

"Wait, what?" I asked, taken off guard by Lilith's apparent dismissal.

"Yeah! That's what I said! I tried to explain there was stuff about race things, and equality and stuff. All she said in response was something like, 'sounds like typical humanity to me.'" He exclaimed.

I stared at him, my eyes wide open. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I had honestly heard such a simplified, detached, or cynical view of the White Fang before. In fact, it seemed that Lilith didn't even seriously distinguish between Faunus and humans, if her "sounds like typical humanity to me" comment is any indication.

I couldn't really be sure, though. Jaune could just be remembering it wrong.

Still it gave me hope that perhaps, blowing this part of my cover wouldn't actually be so bad.

_But, they can never know about the White Fang_ I thought, that fear rising in me again.

_I can never let them know about the things I've done_.

* * *

**Ruby pov**

After what felt like an eternity asleep, I finally opened my eyes once more. I looked around, realizing I was somewhere much different. There was darkness everywhere, for as far as the eye could see. No, actually.

Not darkness,

_Absence_.

It was emptiness, darkness so dark it made the darkest night seem little more than shade. Normal, mortal, darkness, is simply the absence of light. A dark closet, or shadowed alley is simply lacking light to allow us to see in it. To call _this_ darkness was to insult it.

It wasn't the absence of light, it was the absence of _existence_. It was empty, hollow, and hungering. As unforgiving as it was infinite. It consumed everything that dared enter it, and let nothing escape.

It was the Void.

But it wasn't alone.

For behind me, lay the shining, blazing light of creation. I turned, and had to shield my eyes from its majesty. It was a massive sun, so large and so close it took up nearly my entire field of vision. If the Void was the inevitable end, than this was the beginning.

It burned with an eternal intensity, forever defying and fighting against the Void.

It was the forge of existence, it was the spark of life, it was the Light.

And I was right in the middle of it, standing on some, invisible, impossible platform right between two immortal giants, whose existence made mine seem infinitesimal and meaningless. I was in the divide between existences, the space between nothing and everything.

I was in Purgatory.

For some, standing here would be incredibly unsettling. It _felt_ like I was standing on something, and yet, when I looked down, there was nothing but more of that infinite darkness that was the Void. The Void nearly surrounded me with its maddening emptiness, only stopped by the Light, by the massive star I sat in the shadow of.

For some, this would be a foreign and alien experience. It would be terrifying, unnerving, and eye-opening.

For me, it was home.

Every time I closed my eyes I came back to this place. I could never forget it, after all. But this time, I wasn't alone.

He signaled his presence with the loud, clacking sound of his shoes against the immaterial floor. It rang out loudly against the howling darkness. Each step going

_Clack_

_Clack_

_Clack_

As he slowly approached me from behind.

I turned to meet him, and was greeted with a somewhat surprising sight.

It was a man in a dark green suit with glasses, silver hair, a cane in one hand, and a mug of coffee in the other. The tinted glasses hid his eyes, but not his identity. Many people could recognize him on appearance, and he had been known by many names. But I called him by one, a very special one.

"Lucifer." I greeted.

And in response he simply gave me a wide, face-splitting grin.

"My my, what gave me away?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, with this Scene, I finish Act I
> 
> Fucking finally.
> 
> Right, so, in this chap we finally finished up Team ANBL's fight.
> 
> And shit went down hard.
> 
> So you may be wondering what's up with Pyrrha and Ruby/Lilith?
> 
> Well the answer is...
> 
> I can't tell you.
> 
> Well, I could, but that would be a giant fucking spoiler.
> 
> Honestly in the first version of this I planned out, Pyrrha didn't do much. In fact, I'm a little worried about introducing all these things to you this quickly.
> 
> That said, they are plot central. I can change when some of this stuff is revealed, but in my story this can totally happen.
> 
> So, I could re-write it so it's written better, or delay the reveal of them, but they are part of the story.
> 
> At the same time, however, I really like Pyrrha's scene.
> 
> I really can't think of too many times where Pyrrha's actually badass or does badass shit in a story. She's often well known as being strong, but rarely do I actually see her do something badass.
> 
> That makes me sad.
> 
> So, if you came here to read Pyrrha do badass things on occasion while also struggling with sanity, you came to the right place.
> 
> Oh, and as for the thing with Blake's bow, that wasn't originally planned. That came about when I had the thought, "Wait...Blake's going through a lot of shit. She got beat up by a giant scorpion, almost tased by lightning, was in a super strong thunderstorm, and almost got eaten by a tornado. The fuck is her bow staying on?"
> 
> I figured not even super glue would help her.
> 
> So it didn't.
> 
> Now it's gone.
> 
> Jaune knows the truth...and gives no shits.
> 
> I feel like that's a pretty Jaune move.
> 
> In any case, as of right now, Team ANBL has passed.
> 
> They'll be back in Beacon soon enough, safe-ish and mostly sound.
> 
> But again, as of this Scene, Act I is over. Next, I'll be posting Act II. 
> 
> Unlike this Act, I'll be slowing things down a bit in my posting speed. By which I mean it'll be about 4 chaps a week, instead of 16. 
> 
> So yeah.
> 
> That's a thing.


	17. Scene 17: Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the wake of the bloodbath known as Initiation, Team ANBL takes a moment to recover in their cave while Glynda takes stock of the aftermath.

**Pyrrha pov**

There was darkness all around me, enveloping me, covering me, smothering me. There was no sight, no sound, no feeling, nothing. That's all there was, that drowning absence of everything. Then, there was something.

" _I-I give up."_ A trembling voice said.

" _I surrender"_ it continued.

Then, the silence continued for a moment. A pregnant, trembling, silence. Then it was broken by the sound of something wooden falling onto stone.

" _Finish it."_ A different voice said

Another long, heavy, pause hung in the air until there was the sound of wood being scraped and dragged across stone

" _You don't have to do this."_ The first voice begged.

After another pause the second voice repeated, _"_ _ **Finish it**_ _."_ With more force.

Another pregnant silence. Then…

_crack_

" _Stop!"_ The voice cried out in pain _"I give up!"_

_crack_

" _Please!"_

_Crack_

" _Stop hurting me!"_

_Crack_

" _Just let me go!"_

_Crack!_

" _You win! Just let me-!"_

_Crack!_

" _Owe!"_

_CRACK!_

" _Stop!"_

_CRACK!_

" _Plea-"_

_**CRUNCH!** _

Then, with that final sound, I was jolted from my slumber. My eyes flew open and my mind was kicked out from its rest and into overdrive, trying to put everything together and figure out where I was.

My heart was still pounding as my breaths were ragged, my body still coming to terms with reality. I was sitting against a cold, damp, and hard wall with my javelin safely held in my arms. Finally, after a taking a couple seconds to calm myself down, I really took in where I was.

I was in a cavern filled with glowing blue luminescent fungi, and a large underground lake taking up majority of the cavern. It was cold and damp, not surprising given the environment. The blue fungi gave off more than enough light for me to see the area pretty well. Most importantly, I could tell that there were no immediate threats in the area, no signs of movement that drew my attention. I was, as far as I could tell, safe enough.

_How did I get here?_ I thought to myself.

I couldn't really remember how I had gotten here. I remember I was on my way to Beacon, and I _think_ I got there, unless it was all a dream. My mind was a mess right now, and I couldn't tell what was real, what was just a dream, and what was just the past.

Before I could figure anything out, however, I glanced down at my wet body, and discovered the source of my discomfort.

I was almost completely naked, only a few scraps of twisted leather and cloth laying on my body. Even worse, I was completely covered, head to toe, in a muddy mix of wet, crimson, blood and black dirt.

_Wha-what is this? Why am I covered in blood!_ I thought, my eyes widening in panic.

Suddenly, all semblance of safety was immediately purged from my system as fear flooded me. Now that I noticed the blood, I noticed how much my body hurt, how sore I felt. Every part of me hurt, even my teeth. My left arm, in particular, hurt quite a bit, a burst of sharp pain shooting through it at the slightest movement. Taking a glance at it, it was the only part of me not covered in blood, but the skin was red, raw, and tender.

As I panicked, I dropped my bronze head-piece that I held in my hands, as well Milo, which I had been cradling in my sleep. At the sound of them clattering to the ground, I turned around, looking at my surroundings frantically as I jolted up.

Then I saw them.

Two bodies, laying to the side of the cavern.

As I looked at them, felt a headache coming on as waves of pain pulsed in my brain. I clutched my head in anguish, squeezing my eyes shut as my mind was wracked with agony. Gritting my teeth and pushing past the pain, I opened my eyes again.

That's when I noticed things about them.

They were… _familiar_ to me, but I couldn't remember why, or who they were, but I _know_ I knew them, somehow. Then, there was the fact that neither one of them was moving, nor had they reacted to my movement or the sound of my clattering gear.

But above all of that, it was the deathly paleness of the girl in red, who lay there closest to me, and the distinct lack of the rise and fall of her chest, which sent my mind racing.

In the absence of knowledge, my mind surged, putting what little it had together to figure out what had happened. Before I could stop it, my imagination and paranoia filled in the gaps as my fear ran rampant through me. With each growing second, my headache only grew worse, as did my horror. Finally, after nearly a minute of staring at their still bodies, I could only come to one conclusion.

This blood I was covered in was _theirs_

I had killed them, somehow, someway, for some reason. It was the only explanation that made sense to me. Why else would I be covered in blood? Why else would they be lying there, dead? Why else would I recognize them? Besides…

It's not the first time it's happened.

That said, it's never been this…random. It's not like I've ever woken up in an alley covered in blood and surrounded by corpses or anything. Even worse, it's been years since I've had a blackout. It's been years since I've had that _dream_ , since I've remembered those days so vividly.

_I thought I was fixed._ I thought, staring at the carnage I had wrought in horror.

I thought I had regained my sanity, that I was whole again, that I had put my past behind me, but this…this proved otherwise.

That dream, that memory, had brought it all back.

Before I could think more on the subject, I could hear the sound of footsteps approaching the cavern from a tunnel behind me.

Reacting quickly, I spun around, facing the potential threat. I used my semblance to summon my weapons into my hands, and got into a defensive position facing the door as I shoved those thoughts down. My body was still wracked with pain, especially my left arm, but I ignored those feelings as I always had, shoving them into a corner in my mind.

I may have been horrified by what I had done, but I wasn't going to let that get me killed. Instead, I was going to take care of any threats that faced me, and solve all of this once I was safe.

I didn't have to wait long for the potential threat to arrive.

She entered the cavern without any suspicion, obviously not expecting any threats to be in here. That said, she wasn't unarmed. She had a pistol with a blade in one hand, and a larger, broader, sword in the other.

She was wearing a set of tight fitting black and white clothes, and the pair of black cat ears on her head marked her as a Faunus, something that meant I wouldn't be able to use the darkness of the caves to my advantage.

She turned to me, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Pyrrha…you're up" She said quietly

Before she could say anymore, I raised my shield up and pointed my Javelin at her.

"Who are you?!" I order, not wanting to show any signs of my weakness.

I was scared, cold, and confused, but if she saw even a _hint_ of that, she could use it to strike me down without hesitation. I couldn't let my own weaknesses get me killed. So, I did what I had always done. I pushed my own thoughts, fears, and doubts deep away, and brought up that courage, that anger, that determination to win.

At my question she seemed stunned, taking a step back as her mouth opened and her brow rose.

"What?" She asked, bewildered.

"Who are you?! Why do you know my name?!" I shouted again, taking an aggressive step forward.

Just like with the other two, she seemed familiar, but I didn't know why. It was like she was on the edge of my memory, and the harder I tried to reach for it, the further it flew from my grasp. It was maddening to have my memories so close, and yet so far. To know that I was _supposed_ to know them, but actually know nothing.

She recoiled again, her eyes taking in everything about me in.

"You don't know who I am?" She questioned, slowly raising her pistol.

Truthfully, she really wouldn't be able to do much with it if I didn't want her too, but I didn't want to show all my cards immediately. It would be better for her to make a mistake that I could take advantage of, rather than make the first move.

Still holding a stern, unyielding, gaze at her, I slowly shook my head, frowning at her question.

_So she expected me to know her? Maybe she really can shed some light on what's going on here, on why I killed these two._ I thought.

"The name Blake doesn't ring any bells?" She asked again

I was about to shake my head again, to deny it, when another, more violent, pulse of agony rocked my head again. I tried to resist it, but it was too much to ignore. I couldn't help but drop my javelin and clutch my head in pain as I struggled to get ahold of myself.

Then, as I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, trying to block out the pain, I remembered.

I had been in a bathroom, I had just gotten up, and this girl was in front of me. She was holding her hand out to me, and she said _"My name's Blake, Blake Belladonna_ ", introducing herself.

As I pulled myself out of my episode of agony, I opened my eyes again, looking at the girl in front of me.

"Blake…Belladonna?" I replied, unsure of myself.

At that she seemed to relax a bit, lowering her weapons and nodding in affirmation.

And with that, the small memory expanded, not a lot, but it was enough. When all was said and done, I didn't know much about her, but I knew what I needed. Whoever Blake Belladonna was, my instincts didn't consider her a threat.

No, that's not exactly right. No, it wasn't that she wasn't a threat, it's that she was…safe. She was a teammate, and I could trust her.

So I did.

I relaxed, lowing my shield as I stopped putting up a strong front. I allowed my posture to slack as my soreness came back in full force. I took several steps back before I allowed myself to collapse against the wall of the cavern again.

"Pyrrha, are you okay?" She said, worried about me. I couldn't see her face, but I could hear it in her voice.

"No" was all I could say.

I wasn't okay.

I knew I was safe enough with Blake here, and that meant I could relax. Because I could relax, I could think, and because I could think, I could realize what I had done. I could really _process_ what was happening, what I had done, and what I had lost.

I had had another blackout. I couldn't remember hardly anything about today, and I woke up covered in blood next to two dead bodies. I didn't know what was going on, and I felt like I was losing my mind.

Even worse, after three years, I had had another dream, another flashback.

I had relapsed.

I felt like all the progress I had made over the years to pull myself back together was falling apart. I felt like _I_ was falling apart. Everything I had done was falling to pieces, and I was losing myself.

But I couldn't fall apart yet, I had to hold it together right now.

So, I just laid there, staring out into the deep blue underground lake, and pondered my broken existence in despair.

_I guess I'm still just a broken tool after all._

* * *

**Blake pov**

Earlier, after talking with Jaune for a bit, he felt tired and decided to go back to sleep. At first, I was worried he might have a concussion or something, given how many hard blows he had received, as well as the fact he had already passed out. However, after giving him a cursory examination, he seemed to be fine, apart from being sore all over.

So, I let him sleep. Why not?

The storm wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, so for the time being we were stuck in this cave. Outside it was still raging and howling. While the tornado itself was gone, the rest of the thunderstorm remained, making going outside an undesirable action.

In addition, due to the cave we were staying in and interference from the storm, I couldn't connect my scroll to the outside world. This meant I couldn't contact the school and get them to send a rescue party. Hell, I couldn't even tell them we were alive.

So, until the storm let up, we would be stuck in here, which would likely be for at least the rest of the day.

Since going outside was out of the question, the only other option left to us was exploring the cave. The problem with that, however, was that the cave was dark.

Extremely dark.

Outside of this cavern, there was hardly any luminescent fungi in the cave, certainly not enough for the illumination seen here. This meant that to a human like Jaune, the rest of the cave was pitch-black, making him useless.

Actually, a five minute trial run proved that he was _worse_ than useless.

I told him that he wouldn't be able to do anything, but _no_ he had to try to prove himself, and thanks to that, my feet hurt.

Anyway, it quickly became apparent that he had literally nothing to do other than sleep, so sleep he did. In the meantime, I went out and searched the cave system, trying to accomplish a couple things.

First, I wanted to map it out, to figure out if there were any other exits or points of interest like this cavern. Second, I wanted to hunt down and eliminate any potential threats. The drawings outside the cave indicated the possibility that something lived here once, but the question remained as to whether it _still_ lived here.

After an hour or two of searching, marking my path by carving into the walls with Gambol, I had found another exit, and nothing trying to kill me. I hadn't finished searching all the caves, as they were quite extensive, but I decided that I had done a decent sweep of the surrounding area. So I headed back to keep watch over everyone else and to make sure they were okay.

Then, I walked in and saw that Pyrrha was already awake. At first I was somewhat pleasantly surprised by this. It meant she was okay, and that I could finally get some answers. Then I looked her in the eyes, and I instantly knew that something was very wrong.

They were no longer those dark, roiling, crimson orbs filled with cold killing instinct. Now, they were back to being emerald. Despite that however, they were still narrowed at me with suspicion, distrust, and wariness. In addition, she had her shield and spear raised to meet me as a potential enemy, not as a friend.

At first, the situation was tense, but it soon diffused once she began to remember me.

Then she just sat down against the cave wall, staring out into the waters looking…lost.

She said she wasn't okay, but I wasn't really sure I knew what to do about that. Managing other's personal problems wasn't usually something I did. Hell, managing my _own_ personal problems wasn't something I was great at.

So instead I just stood there off to the side, leaning against the wall, wondering what to do. I was too wired right now to go to sleep, and I would have to wait quite a while before I could call in a rescue.

"Blake." Pyrrha called out, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Hmm?" I responded, turning to her.

"Why…" She began hesitantly, a pensive look on her face.

"Why did I kill them?" She asked.

"What?!" I said jolting up in surprise.

Whatever I had expected her to say, it was _not_ that.

"Why did I kill those two?" She asked, gesturing toward Jaune and Lilith.

"I-I…" I stuttered, not really sure what to make of this, nor how she got there.

"Uh…, no, no. They're not dead, they're just asleep." I responded, very concerned about the mindset of the redhead.

"Asleep?" She repeated, confused.

"Yes, asleep." I said as I walked over to Jaune.

I lightly kicked him in the side, just enough to get a response.

"Mmrm fuck you I'm not a pretty princess." Jaune murmured as he squirmed slightly.

After repositioning himself slightly, he fell back to sleep without another word.

_I'm…I'm not even sure what to think about that_ I thought, amused at his surprising response.

"S-so they're not dead?" Pyrrha questioned again in wonder.

"No, just asleep. Lilith's not doing well, she was knocked out or something, but Jaune just got tired and decided to take a nap." I explained.

"Oh…that's good, that's…that's very good." Pyrrha said, sinking back against the wall in relief. She looked as if a massive weight had just been taken off her shoulders, which, considering what she thought she did, isn't terribly surprising.

_Still…_

"Pyrrha, why did you think you killed them?" I asked, wondering why she came to such a…bizarre and extreme conclusion.

"Well, I woke up, unable to really remember what happened today, covered in blood, and next to someone in a death like sleep…is it really so surprising I jumped to that conclusion?" She asked tiredly.

_For most people, probably. But I guess I can see the logic. I'd probably come to the same conclusion._

"I guess not…" I finally said, still somewhat wary of the girl, but willing to play nice.

Pyrrha seems to have calmed down significantly, and my instincts were no longer screaming at me that there was some form of impending danger coming from her. Despite her no longer being an immediate threat, I still found there to be a lot of…oddities…surrounding the fabled "Invincible girl".

"So Pyrrha, what was up with you earlier? With the Death Stalker?" I asked, trying to unravel some of her mysteries.

"What?" She asked, confused.

"Earlier, when we encountered a Death Stalker, you froze up and-" I began to say, trying to set the scene for her.

"I'm sorry." She interrupted.

"But I already told you, I really can't remember much of anything about today." She said, looking very apologetic.

"And that doesn't ring any bells?" I questioned.

"I'm sorry, but no. It doesn't." She said with a sad shake of her head.

I let out a frustrated breath.

_Great, I finally get her alone to ask her some serious questions, and she has a bout of minor amnesia so she can't tell me the answers even if she wanted to._

I considered whether or not she was faking it, simply to avoid my questions, but I doubted it.

_The Death Stalker beat on her pretty hard. I'm not exactly a medical specialist, but I wouldn't be surprised if she had a concussion, which as I know from personal experience, can result in memory loss._

_Still though…what was that back there with the red eyes?_

I knew that Aura could do strange things, and despite attempts to study Aura it remained an inconsistent and strange phenomenon in a lot of ways. One of those ways was how sometimes it could affect eye color. It wasn't explicitly unheard of, just...not common knowledge. But Pyrrha…Pyrrha should be dead after what that Death Stalker did to her. And instead, she got up with cold, vengeful red eyes, and killed the ancient Grimm with surprising ease, before continuing on in silence.

_Perhaps it's her semblance?_

Pyrrha Nikos, despite being rather famous and well known, was surprisingly private. Not much was known about her other than her history in the tournaments, and even then, there were some secrets. Her semblance, for example.

And Semblances could be…weird.

Shaking those thoughts out of my head, I decided to focus on something she _should_ remember.

"Hey, Pyrrha?" I asked, getting her attention again.

"Yes?" She responded, turning back to me after my moment of quiet contemplation.

"Wha-" I began, pausing, making sure I really wanted to say what was on my mind.

"What _are_ you?' I asked.

"Hmm?' She hummed as she scrunched up her brow in confusion, blinking in surprise a few times.

"Are you human, or…" I began before reluctantly continuing, "Are you a Faunus, like me?" I finished, gesturing towards my black cat ears.

She _looked_ human, for the most part. But, there were some special cases in which the more animalistic traits of a Faunus weren't so obvious, or weren't as prominently expressed. Then, there was her teeth.

Her oh so sharp teeth.

She didn't exactly have rows of razor sharp teeth, but they were noticeably more predatory than a normal human's had any right to be.

I might have been able to smell what kind of Faunus she was if she wasn't covered in dirt and blood. Even still, it wasn't a sure thing. Some Faunus just don't have a particularly strong scent.

"Oh!" She said, her eyes lighting up in understanding.

"I, er, well." She began, somewhat flustered and giving off a mild blush.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm probably just a regular old human, unlike yourself." She answered with a weak, self-deprecating chuckle.

_Oh, well, I guess that's a little disappointing._ I thought, a bit sad that it turned out that I would be the sole Faunus on the team after all. Unless, of course, Lilith had something she was hiding from all of us as well.

_Still, I guess it's nice to know that my Faunus heritage won't raise any problems_ I thought, sighing as I realized I should just take what I could get.

Then, I noticed something. A…discrepancy in what she said.

"Wait, what do you mean _probably_?" I inquired suspiciously.

At that she chuckled nervously, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Er, well, that?"

"You don't know?" I continued, exasperated.

_How could she not know?_

"Well I-I'm, er…I'm adopted." She began to explain.

_Oh_ I thoughtblankly.

That, I was not expecting.

I had never expected that the famous Pyrrha Nikos, the "Invincible Girl", would have been adopted.

_I wonder how would people react if they new that their favorite little huntress in training was a species confused orphan?_

"I'm adopted, and, well, it never really came up before." She continued.

"But…but…there are tests a-and-" I sputtered, dumbfounded that _she didn't even know_.

"Not to put down being a Faunus or anything, but that honestly wasn't very high on my priority list. I was usually too busy with training and being, well... _famous_ , to worry about that." She elaborated with an apologetic smile. Thought the strained way she said famous was a little suspicious.

Once again, though, I was floored. She didn't even seem to _care_ to know. For someone like me, someone whose racial identity was integral to who I was, to what I dreamed about, I had a very hard time fathoming it.

"But, you must have some idea about who your parents were, some memories of them or something?" I continued, reaching for anything now.

Instead, she shook her head with a sad smile. "No, I was orphaned as a baby. I have absolutely no clue who my biological family is."

"No clue at all?" I continued. I couldn't imagine someone having such a…casual disinterest in their past, their legacy, their family.

Especially after what happened to mine.

"You've never wondered about them? Never had any suspicions? Thoughts? Ideas? _Anything_?" I pressed further.

"Well…" She began with a thoughtful look, staring up to the blue-lit ceiling as she delved deep into her thoughts, her past.

"I suppose I _have_ given it _some_ thought." She began.

"Yes?" I asked, eager to hear what it was, if for no other reason than to learn more about the thought process of my new teammate. To hopefully gain some insight into her hopes and dreams.

"I guess I'd have to say my mother…my mother's probably…" She said with a sigh and sad smile.

"A whore."

And with that, my mind went completely blank.

_What_.

"My mother's probably just some whore living in a brothel, and one day she accidently got pregnant. She was probably too poor or something to abort me, and having a child in a brothel was probably bad for business, so…she probably got rid of me the first chance she got." She explained with a sad smile.

There was no…venom…no despair, or longing, or anger, or _anything_ of the sort when she said it.

Instead, the sadness on her face, in her eyes, didn't seem to be one of loss, not one that said, _"Oh, why oh why did this happen to me? Oh mother, why did you forsake me?"_ Instead it seemed to be a look that said, _"Oh well, what can you do?"_

It was one of sad acceptance.

"H-how…" I tried to say, too stunned to form a coherent sentence.

"How? Er, um, well…I'm not too sure of the specifics of it really, it's really ju-" She began to explain, misinterpreting me.

"No!" I shouted at her, causing her to recoil in surprise.

"How can you say things?! How can you say these terrible terrible things about your own _mother_ so…so…casually?!" I roared at her.

Pyrrha looked at me, taken aback, recoiling from me. "I-I…I don't…" She said, trying to find the words.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you or anything." She apologized frantically, a panicked look on her wide eyed face.

I let out a frustrated sigh at her apology.

"No no, it's…it's fine. I just…" I responded, trying to reign in my anger.

Honestly, I don't really know which part, specifically, made me so mad. I couldn't tell whether I was mad _at_ her, or _for_ her. Most of all I was just…shocked…by what she had said.

"How can you say that so _easily_? How can you even _think_ that?" I asked.

"That's…that's just how it probably is." She responded sheepishly, as if she honestly didn't know how wrong it sounded.

"But why _that_? I mean, I know you don't actually know anything about your family, but why, of all things, would you think that _that_ is who your mother is?" I asked, bewildered by her thought process.

"Er, well, that's the story of a lot of orphans from where I was adopted from in Mistral. It just kind of makes sense that it wouldn't be too different for me." She explained.

Part of me was still angry at…something. Part of me wanted to tell her off, yell at her. Instead, I let out a frustrated and bewildered breath, hanging my head in my hands as I thought, _What am I even trying to do?_

_I want to do something to her, but what? What in the world am I trying accomplish by telling her off?_

It's not like Pyrrha was being hostile or anything. Quite the opposite, she was being very apologetic about her views. Besides, it's her family, not mine. If she thinks that her birth mother is a whore who threw her away, who am I to disagree?

"I guess…I guess that makes a certain kind of sense." I forced out through my hands.

Letting go of my mouth and moving my hands up to my hair, I let out another hot breath.

"I just don't understand how you can think like that." I said tiredly, relenting in my not-so-righteous fury.

"Sorry?" Pyrrha said with a helpless shrug and a shaky smile, not knowing what else to say.

"I suppose it's not really your fault." I conceded, looking at the ground at my feet.

After a moment of silence as I just tried to...process…what she had said, Pyrrha spoke up once more.

"Um, Blake?" She asked, getting my attention.

"Yes?" I responded, lazily turning back to her.

"Can you tell me what happened today? It's all still kind of a…messy blur of…stuff." She tried to explain, her face scrunched up in mild frustration.

It only took me a moment to come to my decision.

"Okay, fair enough." I agreed with a nod of my head.

"Where do you want me to start?" I asked.

"The earliest memory I can solidly pin down is meeting you in the bathroom after I got up." She said after a moment of thought.

_So…the beginning. Great_ I frowned

Nevertheless, I told her the tale, as best I knew, of what happened today.

* * *

**Goodwitch pov**

_31._

_31 people…gone_ I thought, staring at the page.

No matter how much I looked at it, no matter how much I wanted it to change, it just stayed the same.

It had been a few hours since I had gotten back to the school, and even still, I was struggling to come to terms with what had happened this morning, how things had taken a sudden and dark for the worst. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford to rest. I still had a duty to keep things in order, write up a report, and tally the casualties.

No matter how I felt about it.

So, I did my job, barely keeping myself together as I pushed forward. As much as I just wanted to take a drink and lose myself, to just let go for a minute or an hour, to just…rest…I couldn't. Not yet.

That said, looking at the report in front of me, my stomach couldn't help but churn.

We had only managed to bring back 50 of the 80 students that were put in the forest this morning. Despite how much Ozpin played up Initiation, we don't usually have any students die. Sometimes a few get injured, perhaps critically so, but rarely is it the case that a student will perish before the staff can get involved.

To have 30 students, 37.5%, of the incoming body perish was…unprecedented.

Of the 50 recovered, 16 have been hospitalized for various major injuries. Some would be painful and leave scars, but not crippling. Others…others would potentially end their huntsman career before it ever truly took off.

Then…there was the staff.

It was just another reminder that despite having years of experience and training under your belt, you were never truly safe, never invincible. Of the 13 teachers that aided in the evacuation, including myself, one died at the evacuation site to Grimm, and 5 have been hospitalized.

Including Professor Port.

The Huntress who perished was Mrs. Nadie, mother of twins, the cause of her leaving the huntress lifestyle and becoming a teacher. She was the head Psychiatrist, and she was very good at her job. Part of that included giving advice to the occasionally stressed teacher, something I confess to doing on occasion myself.

She was kind, patient, caring, and insightful, and it's a shame we lost her.

But, as much as I wanted mourn her loss, and the loses of all the students, right now I couldn't afford to waste too much time on it. I had to be pragmatic and practical as always.

So, aside from the ethical and moral problems resulting from the…slaughter…that was this year's Initiation ceremony, there several other major concerns.

First, as it was right now we only have 50 freshmen from the first wave of Initiation. Given what they encountered, I'm going to recommend to Ozpin that we allow them to enter whether or not they actually reached the temple and grabbed the chess pieces. I can't see why he would refuse.

Given the large amount of incoming initiates the school receives, we conduct Initiation in waves, often three. In each wave, we send up to 80 initiates into the Emerald Forest to retrieve relics or some other task. We normally have an Initiation failure rate of about 20%, but with how the first wave of Initiation went... the classrooms would likely be a bit emptier this year.

Second, morale will likely plummet as a result of the casualties suffered. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if several of the freshmen decided to drop out, finding the horrors of being a Huntsman too much for them to bear. While school spirit was rarely something I cared too much about, the general mental health and state of the student body was, especially considering they were fighting empathic monsters that fed on and were drawn to darker emotions.

Third, we would need to figure out how to adjust for casualties suffered to the staff. While only one of them died in the forest, two teachers currently in the hospital have severe and life-threatening injuries. Honestly, there could be several other deaths over the next couple days as student and teacher alike perish in the hospital.

So, I would need to somehow accommodate for the loss of at least one teacher. That meant figuring how to perhaps shuffle around schedules, having other teachers fill in, or even cancelling some classes until replacements could be found. Something that might prove difficult considering the undoubtable publicity that will result from this.

Which brought me to the fourth issue. The publicity.

As much as I didn't particularly care for this side of academics, I couldn't ignore it. The fact was that this event would be big news throughout the kingdoms. In some cases it would bring about sympathy for what they might see as a terrible, if unavoidable, tragedy. In others, people might see this as the school's fault for not protecting our students well enough. This might cause them to want to investigate the school more closely, or introduce changes to make sure it never happened again.  
Considering this wasn't technically a government school, that meant there was a limit to what they could do. That didn't mean they couldn't do anything, however. It just meant they had to be more crafty about it.

I let out a loud and tired sigh as I reclined in my chair and rubbed my temples.

_This is a mess_ I thought.

Fortunately, it wasn't a mess I had to deal with alone. We had various staff on hand that would deal with some of the more tedious and intimate details of all of these things. It meant the weight was solely on mine and Ozpin's shoulders, which was a relief. Then I remembered something else we would have to do.

_We're going to have to notify the families._ I realized.

We would have to notify the families of both the students and teachers who perished and are injured. In fact, we would likely have to notify _all_ the families regarding the status of their children, whether to give them comforting news or…otherwise.

_But what about Ruby's?_ I wondered.

Honestly, I didn't want to think about it right now. I had attempted to rescue the young girl from her insane and abusive father, I wanted to try and give her a better life than the one she had lived in isolation and scorn.

And now she was dead.

She was one of the 11 who were unaccounted for. It would have been 12, but it one of them was brutally killed by the tornado in front of all of us.

In any case, we had no idea where she was, and I doubted she survived that massive Tornado, along with the horde of angry and hungry Grimm in the forest. Even if she did, we wouldn't be able to go after her until the storm passed. After the Tornado died down, the storm remained. It's intensity right now was such that we couldn't safely have Bullheads fly around out there.

And its my fault. I brought her here, thinking she could handle it, and then I sent her into the forest, thinking she would be alright.

Then I left her behind.

And now, here I was, wondering whether or not to tell her family.

No, that's not right.

They had a right to know, that wasn't in doubt. Instead, I was reluctant about telling them more because of whether I thought they were worthy of it. Her father certainly wasn't, he'd probably rejoice at her death.

Her sister on the other hand…

I sighed again.

_I just don't know enough about this_ I thought.

There were just too many unknowns, and too many things out of my hands.

_But…I don't need to tackle this today._ I decided.

_I have many things to do, and this…this can wait, at least until I know more._

_Nothing good ever came from rushing to make unfounded decisions_

And with that, I stood up and made my way to Ozpin's office _._

* * *

**Blake pov**

It was finally the next morning. The storm had finally passed. We could finally get out of here, and back to civilization.

_Thank god_ I thought as I stretched my back out in the sun.

Last night before I had gone to bed had been…interesting.

At some point, Jaune got back up, and joined me and Pyrrha as I explained the day's events to her. Eventually she remembered everything again.

Everything except the Death Stalker.

Apparently, last she could remember we had just gotten out chess pieces. She remembers there was supposed to be a tornado on the way, and we were in the middle of a giant storm, but she doesn't remember the Death Stalker encounter, nor what happened afterward.

Though, when we mentioned her "death" and her red eyes, she seemed exceptionally surprised and alarmed.

* * *

"Wait, my eyes were red?" She questioned

"Yes." Jaune and I both answered simultaneously.

In response she gave a confused and concerned look as she scrunched up her brow.

Then, her eyes lit up with possibility, and raised a hand up to her eye and-

"eeegghh!" Jaune said in disgust, recoiling as Pyrrha touched her eyeball.

_Contacts?_ I wondered, familiar with them.

I had used them on occasion for various things, usually disguises though.

"Hmm." Pyrrha said finally as she retracted her hand, staring at it with a pensive look

"What's wrong?" Jaune asked, recovering from his disgust.

"I usually wear contacts." She responded absentmindedly, still staring at her empty fingers.

"You need contacts?" I questioned.

The idea that the "Invincible Girl" needed contacts was…surprising.

"No, not need." She answered, still staring at her empty fingers worriedly.

"Now I'm lost." I said.

"Same here." Jaune seconded.

Finally, Pyrrha looked back up at us, and replied. "They aren't prescription contacts to correct my vision, they're combat contacts."

"What?" Jaune said, voicing my thoughts.

"Combat contacts are contacts that are designed to keep your eye moisturized, keep dust and irritants out, as well as general protect your eye. There's also a version that gives you a HUD and AR functions, but I didn't bring those with me." She explained

"Basically, they make it so I don't need to blink nearly as often." She simplified.

"Oh." Jaune simply said in understanding

_I can see how that would be useful_. I thought. If it worked like it sounded like it did, it would make things like throwing sand in your opponent's eyes worthless. Not to mention, in an intense fight, even blinking can cost you a precious instant of awareness.

"I'm guessing that during the fight they got knocked out or something, causing my eyes to get all red and irritated." She mused.

That made a certain level of sense. It was a plausible excuse. Given by how Jaune was nodding his head in understanding, I'm sure he believed it.

I wasn't so convinced. Pyrrha seemed to think it made sense, she didn't appear to be lying, but something was troubling her deeply about this.

More importantly, when I looked at her eyes, they didn't seem to be an inflamed type of red.

Then again, maybe I'm overthinking this. Maybe her red eyes were really just due to irritation.

Regardless, Pyrrha was one to keep an eye on.

* * *

In any case, the night went on for a while longer, and at some point Pyrrha finally decided to bath in the underground pool to get all the blood and dirt off her. Afterwards, in an act of either chivalry or Jaune simply not wanting things to get even more awkward, he gave her his hoodie to put on.

In the end, none of us were terribly comfortable, but we weren't freezing to death or anything, so it was tolerable.

Eventually, however, I succumbed to sleep, with Pyrrha and Jaune keeping watch over me.

But now, it was morning, and I could finally call the school, tell them we weren't dead, and get ourselves out of here.

And so, pulling out my scroll, I called the contact number we given if we were in an emergency.'

Within a few seconds of ringing, the person on the other end picked up with a groggy, _"Hello?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, if it wasn't obvious before, I'm telling you now.
> 
> I'm not doing the arc where Ruby and Weiss have a little conflict about being the leader. Not because I didn't like it, it honestly made sense, but because it can't happen. I would have to pull the most bullshit thing ever in order for it to happen. Weiss doesn't even know Ruby exists, let alone the two being on the same team.
> 
> So, this arc is kind of the analogy for that arc. We don't actually start school, per say, but all the pieces get put into place for the real meat of the story to start. This is just the introduction, of sorts.
> 
> The next arc is sort of the analogy for the Jaundice arc, but things, again, aren't going to play out exactly the same. Also, the arc where Blake's origin's are revealed isn't going to be happening very canonically either. I can't really do it without forcing it since Weiss isn't there to push Blake into slipping up.
> 
> Honestly, from here on out, we're going to be kind of veering away from cannon. Some things that are time-based, such as the Vytal Festival, will still happen, just differently.
> 
> Other things probably won't, or at least they'll be extremely different. I'm trying not to use cannon as a crutch, but instead a guideline.
> 
> But that's enough about the far-off future.
> 
> As for the now, the thing where Blake's not entirely sure what Pyrrha is and neither is Pyrrha kind of makes sense to me in light of Tukson or however you spell his name.
> 
> Tukson was, we can safely assume, a Faunus. And yet, until they brought up the White Fang and he decided to advertise that fact, he looked really human.
> 
> Now, maybe I'm missing something, because as far as I can tell Adam looks super fucking human too, but from what I can tell there are Faunus that look extremely human.
> 
> And considering the breadth of capabilities "normal" humans have, I think it's not too much of a stretch to say that there can be some who are in a gray area. I mean, as cool as night vision is, some people, myself included, have pretty great night vision without also having cat ears or whatever.
> 
> Plus, not all animals have great night vision. Lots of them like to sleep at night.
> 
> So, yeah, I may be taking liberties with it, but are the liberties that extreme? I mean really? All things considered, I don't think it's a big deal, but if I don't explain it here, someone might complain about me being stupid idiot later.
> 
> On that same note, I'm not telling you whether Pyrrha's human or Faunus. Just keep in mind that humanity's kind of weird enough without adding different species to the mix. That and genetics can be weird, but awesome.
> 
> Oh, and what you can expect in this arc is
> 
> 1: The formation of teams.
> 
> 2: Character bonding.
> 
> 3: Some backstory
> 
> 4: Finishing the setup.
> 
> 5: Lucifer


	18. Scene 18: Return

* * *

**Torchwick pov**

**Several weeks ago**

"So Jack" I began.

It was late and Mila had since been switched out with Jack. While Jack wasn't really bad, the blond was kind of an ass on occasion. Still, though, it gave me the opportunity to learn some things about my most frequent jailor.

"Why are the two of you my guards?" I asked.

Jack looked at me and scoffed.

"Since you're such a "highly rated threat", only Watchmen are authorized to guard you. Frankly I don't see what makes you so tough. After all, you got your ass handed to you by a little girl." He responded.

See? Asshole.

Still, that answered a couple of the questions I had.

I already knew Jack was a Watchman, he wore his Watchmen armor all the time. The armored suit wasn't exactly subtle. That said, Mila didn't wear one, she just wore the standard police blues. I thought it was odd that they'd have a Watchman guard me in my sleep, and…Mila…guard me while I was wide awake.

"So Mila's a Watchman? Then why doesn't she wear her armor?" I asked, surprised. She sure as hell didn't show it.

"She's new. Just got certified before you got your ass locked in here. She hasn't gotten her shit yet. Well, that's the official story as for why she hasn't gotten her shit yet. The fact is, a lot of people didn't like how the Faunus girl managed to become a Watchman." He explained.

"Do they think she used 'favors' to get there?" I asked, not so subtly asking who she had to blow to get into the boy's club.

"Makes more sense than anything else. I mean, she just isn't Watchmen material, and the way she got in just seems a little sketchy to me." He answered, a little bit of jealous venom in his voice

"Really?" Now I was curious.

"Yeah. Mila had damn near perfect marks, especially on marksmanship ratings. She's good. Too good, and nobody except some of the higher-up were there to rate her. They say she did well, but I think she just gave'em all a good BJ." He remarked with a grin.

"Because she got perfect marks?" I guessed.

He nodded.

"Yep. It's all a little suspicious. I mean, she _just_ met the tenure requirement to join. She may have _technically_ been here long enough to join, but she's really still a rookie. And no rookie girl, especially an airheaded Faunus is that good." He explained.

"Wait, so is it because she's a girl, an airhead, new, or a Faunus?" I asked, just trying to be difficult.

"Well, it's mostly because she's a Faunus and she's so…her." He began

"So you don't mind that she's a girl?" I questioned. I had thought that sexism played a major part in his reasoning, he didn't exactly seem like the champion of women's rights after all.

"I might have, but then I met Aveline, and she's pretty awesome. Then again, Aveline isn't exactly a girly girl, so…" He trailed off with a shrug.

"But you _are_ worried because she's a Faunus?" I asked, now thoroughly curious about his motives.

It's not like I had much of anything better to do in here.

"I'm just being realistic. We're Watchmen, and right now the biggest threat that would require our help is the White Fang. If we're fighting the White Fang, what guarantee do we have that she won't hesitate to kill her fellow Faunus? Or even worse, turn on us?" He explained.

That…was a surprisingly good point. It seemed that Jack, underneath the dickish asshole that was his exterior, actually thought things through. Still, I had to wonder if her race played any part in this.

"So, it's not just because she's a stupid animal?" I asked, baiting him.

"Nah. I'm smart enough to know that this isn't exactly a job requiring much in the sophistication department. I mean, the things our job entails actually kinda seem perfect for a Faunus like her." He answered.

_Well, that's a somewhat…interesting outlook._

Racist and an asshole, but practical when he needed to be. He'd fit in fine in the underworld

"The other problem is that even if she _isn't_ a traitor, which is a big if, then she's still kinda green and…naïve. This job will chew her up and spit her out. She has no idea what she's in for, and she's gonna get us all killed because she won't be able to handle it." He added.

"So you're screwed either way?" I suggested.

"Yup." He agreed. "Either she gets us killed because she's a traitor, or she gets us killed because she's the FNG"

"Well…at least she's pretty." I threw out.

"She _does_ have a nice ass." He considered.

"Shopping?" I asked with a smirk

He frowned, glaring at me.

" _No_ , I'll have you know that I am happily engaged, and I in no way shape or form want to fuck things up with my fiancé." He responded.

My smirk widened.

"Doesn't mean you can't window shop." I commented slyly.

He grew a somewhat dopey grin on his face at that comment.

"Yeah, that's true."

"Is that why you're here, guarding me?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Huh?" He said with a disgusting look.

"Look, man, I don't swing that way. I mean, if you're into guys, more power to you, but that's not how I do." He said, taking it the wrong way.

I sighed loudly in annoyance.

" _No_ , not me dumbass, I was talking about you fiancé." I explained.

"Oh." He said, relaxing now that he knew I wasn't hitting on him.

"So, is your girl the reason you're here?" I asked, taking a guess.

"Yeah, actually. I asked the chief if I could guard your pansy ass. I'd rather not get shot before the wedding." He explained.

I nodded my head, it made sense. Guarding a "dangerous prisoner" was probably a lot safer than conducting a raid on a suspected White Fang hidey hole, or some kind of drug cartel or something.

Then I decided to change the subject into something a little more… _productive_.

"So, you know anything about Le Livre Noir?" I asked

He jolted with a start, surprised by my question.

"Huh?" He asked suspiciously.

"I heard a couple of detectives talking about him the other day. I don't actually know much of anything about him, so I was hoping you could fill me in." I said.

That was a half lie. Technically, no, I didn't know much about him. But that's mainly because there's not much _to_ know about him.

"I don't know if I should be talking to you about this." He said, narrowing his eyes at me.

"So you _do_ know something." I speculated with a grin.

He frowned, grunting about how I was probably playing him. Still, he relented.

"Okay, look man, all I'm gonna say is that we really don't know much." He said.

"But you know _something_ , right?" I asked.

"Most of what we know is about what we don't know." He began to explain.

I raised an eyebrow questioning, not following.

"Whoever Le Livre Noir is, they're good. _Real_ good. We have almost _no_ idea who he is. We're not even sure 'he's' a 'he'." Jack explain, exasperated.

I raised both brows in surprise at that.

"Really? Don't you have DNA evidence or witness testimony? Something? Hell, even some kind of psychological profile?" I questioned, surprised that they had _nothing_ on him.

If it even was a him.

"No, Le Livre Noir is good. He leaves nothing behind we can actually use to track him down. He's kind of like a ghost, except one that occasionally uses bombs. He doesn't leave anything behind that really tells us that he was there other than the somewhat similar M.O. …" He answered.

"…and his calling card." He added with a frown.

I could guess why. That calling card of Le Livre Noir's was probably the _real_ reason they knew the hits were connected. That was probably the only clue they had, and it was one the thief _gave_ them.

It was like Le Livre Noir was taunting them. The only real sign that he was there, as opposed to anything else, was something he left there on purpose. Something he used to talk back to the cops.

 _Le livre Noir. It appears you're even better than I thought._ I said to myself before frowning.

_You better not be dead. I could use someone of your talents._

* * *

**Yang pov**

I was back in the Black Forest, complete with the same Void filled Sky, the same Black Trees, and the same eerily verdant green grass. The Crimson Lake, however, was nowhere in sight.

But most importantly, I could tell my sister was in this forest with me. I couldn't see her, but somehow I _knew_ she was here with me.

Then I heard the _Crunch_ of leaves underfoot, and spun around to see a flash of red disappear behind a Black Tree.

"Ruby!" I cry out to her. "I know you're here!"

But I'm met with silence

After a moment of nothing, I try again.

" _Please!_ Just talk to me!" I shout into the depths of the forest.

" _What do you want to say?"_ a voice behind me responds coolly in a whisper.

I quickly spin around, trying to find her, but all I can see is another flash of red disappearing behind another tree.

I run up to the tree, trying to chase after her, but as soon as I reach the tree, any sign of her presence is gone.

" _What could you possibly say to make it better?"_ She asked again, the feeling of her cold breath on the back of my neck sending a shiver down my spine

Turning around, I find that again, I just miss her as she disappears behind another tree.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry for what's happened to you!" I cried out to her

Then, a large gust of wind travels through the forest, tossing my hair around and forcing me to cover my eyes. In it, I can hear her say, _"Sorry? You're sorry for what's happened to me?"_

Then, just as soon as the wind appears, it vanishes. Looking around for any other sign or Ruby, all I can see is the Black Forest, and the emerald moss and grass on the forest floor. She's nowhere to be found.

"Sorry isn't good enough." She says from behind me.

I spin around, and standing behind me in the forest is my little sister. She's exactly the same way I saw her last. Wrapped in her mother's crimson cloak, wearing a black turtleneck sweater and black skirt.

Her hood is down, unveiling her crimson-black hair, unkempt and at shoulder length. Her dark hair and attire truly made her unnaturally pale skin stand out that much more.

Then there were her damnable hollow silver eyes staring up at me, gazing into my very being. They judged me, judging if I was worthy of her.

 _And you're not_ a little voice in the back of my head said.

"Ruby I-" I began, but I didn't know what to say. What _could_ I say? After what had happened to her, after what _I_ had done to her, what could I possibly say to make it all better?

"Ruby, I am _so_ so sorry. If I can do _anything_ to make it up to you, _anything_ to help you, I will." I proclaimed to her.

"You say that, and yet...you've done anything but." She responded to me in an even voice.

"I-" I tried to say before she cut me off.

"You have never been there for me, not once in my entire life, when I really needed it." She interrupted me.

"When I was young, sure, you were nice enough. You were my big sis who was supposed to love and protect me." She said, looking out into the depth of the forest.

Then I blinked, and she was gone.

"Wha-" I sputtered, surprised by her disappearance.

"But that was all just a lie, wasn't it." She said behind me.

I turned once more, and behind me was the shore of the Crimson Lake, with Ruby standing on the beach.

"The first chance you got, you did this to me." She said, staring at the red waves battering the black sand.

"No! I didn't mean for this to happen!" I protested, running to her.

"So it was carelessness then?" She mused again.

"I was just a kid, I made a mistake!" I argued, reaching her.

_It was an accident! I didn't know what I was doing!_

"Then you have made oh so many mistakes." She said as I reached out to her, trying to grasp her shoulder and turn around back toward me.

The second I touched her, however, she disappeared in a massive cloud of liquid shadows that obstructed my vision, keeping me from seeing. I waved my arms, trying to bat the smoke away from me, but it did no good.

"But, do you know the worst part about them?" She asked from out of the darkness.

And with that, the darkness fell from my sight, revealing that I was back in the Black Forest, though the Crimson Lake was still visible in the distance, its red surface standing out against the Emerald Grass and the Black Trees.

"Do you know the worst part of your mistakes?" She reiterated, walking around the small clearing we were in.

Then, as I was rendered speechless from her inquiry, she turned to me, gazing at me with those hollow silver eyes again.

"You never really suffer from them." She said, answering her own question.

"That's not true!" I protested again.

"Isn't it?" She began, cocking her head to the side questioningly.

"Throughout your life, so many people have gotten hurt from your 'mistakes'. So many hurt, so many lives ruined, so much suffering." She continued.

"Except yours." She said, narrowing her eyes.

"I _have_ suffered for my mistakes!" I argued

 _But you haven't suffered nearly enough._ That little voice said.

"People all around you have suffered for your mistakes. People all around you have gotten hurt, or even killed, but you? You always manage to walk away scot-free with barely even a scratch on you." She elaborated icily, boring into my eyes with her own hollow silver pair.

"I-I…" I tried to say, trying to find some way to refute her claims.

But I couldn't.

She was right.

I looked away from her, unable to stand her piercing gaze. As I looked down at the softly glowing green grass beneath me, I thought.

_How do I always manage to escape punishment? How do I always manage to escape what I rightfully deserve? What makes me so special? Why do I get to go on, unpunished, while those around me suffer?_

Then, I felt a pressure on my chest. Looking back up, I saw Ruby laying a hand on my breast, right above my heart.

"Then perhaps it's time that changed?" She suggested with those hollow silver eyes.

Then she blinked, and they were replaced with solid silver white ones.

When she did, the pressure on my chest slowly increased as she pushed her hand forward. I tried to let her push me back, but my body was rooted in place. I looked around and saw black, shadowy tendrils wrapped around me, holding me in place.

I could feel them constricting around me, the cold feel of them on my skin a paradoxical mixture of both airy, and a thick liquid.

I choked out a painful gasp as she plunged her hand into my chest.

"I think it's about time…" She began.

"S-stop." I choked out, feeling her hand dive through my body, passing through skin, blood, muscle, and bone.

Her hand curled around my still-beating heart as she said, "…That you undergo the penance..."

Then she _SQUEEZED_ …

"…That you so rightly deserve." She finished, staring at me with those blank soulless eyes.

And snuffed me out.

And with that final stroke, I woke up with a gasp, a pain in my chest and my heart pounding thunderously in my chest. I sucked in breath after breath of fresh air, my lungs hungering for it desperately. I was drenched in sweat, my mind racing.

I picked up my scroll, looking at the time. It read 12:00 am.

About 2 hours after I had gone to bed.

 _It's going to be a long night_.

* * *

**Ruby pov**

I was back in Purgatory. I was back in the impossible place between two giants of existence, between a brilliant forge of creation, and an ancient end to everything. Between the Light of all things, a power and fury unimaginable, creating new life, new _existence_ with every breath, and the Void, an eternal emptiness, so dark, empty, and ancient that it had actually developed some form of sentience.

It was a place where the rules of reality fell away, where the limits and constraints of the mortal flesh died, and where the depths of madness took hold into your very soul.

For me, however, it was home. And I had returned.

But I wasn't alone.

"Lucifer." I greeted quietly

He responded to me with a pleased smile.

"My my, what gave me away?" He said, amused, his elegant, refined, entrancing voice echoing out in the vastness of Purgatory.

"You weren't exactly subtle." I flatly replied, gesturing to my surroundings.

"Fair enough." He conceded with a nod.

Then he turned to me again, looking at me with a wide, predatory smirk.

"Congratulations, you put on quite the show down there." He remarked, his shaded glasses becoming transparent for a moment and allowing me to see his eyes, though I already knew what I would find.

His eyes were…inverted…in a way. The whites of his eyes were as dark, empty, and vast as the Void we stood amidst. The pupil of his eye, on the other hand, was a brilliant blazing white like the Light before us. They were two tiny, ancient, and powerful stars in a vast ocean of darkness.

In response to his gaze, I couldn't help but look away in an effort to hide my small blush, embarrassed by what I had done to myself.

"It worked." I argued.

"Oh, yes. Yes it did, it worked _marvelously_." He agreed, grinning widely at me, showing off his impossibly white teeth.

"That said, you might want to work on not killing yourself in the process." He teased

"I'm not dead." I stubbornly argued.

"Really now?" He questioned with a knowing grin.

"I'm just…mostly dead." I argued.

"And if it wasn't for your team, you would be _completely_ dead." He pointed out.

I pouted, realizing he had a point. I didn't like to admit it, but he was right. I was a bit…reckless…with my abilities. If I wasn't careful, I could have actually died there. That said…

"It's your fault." I pouted.

"Oh?" He responded, amused.

"Yes, it is. What happened to your non-interference policy?" I questioned.

"Nothing, never had one. I just try not to interfere too much. It's no fun if I do everything myself. I prefer to just sit back and watch the madness I have subtly sown unfold before me, rather than meticulously micro-manage everything." He elucidated.

"And what you did was being subtle?" I questioned skeptically.

He glanced at me again, grinning once more.

"You did most of the work, I just gave a little extra extravagance. And I must thank you for that, for if you didn't, then your Initiation would have been decidedly more boring." He added.

"Boring?" I questioned.

"Indeed." He began with a serious nod, one which was quickly ruined by his accompanying grin.

"Sure, some of you might have had a fight or two, but nothing _truly_ interesting would have happened. Nobody would have perished or suffered evisceration. There wouldn't be any delectable drama, any marvelous madness." He explained.

"Speaking of people dying…is Yang…did she?" I tried to say, but I couldn't finish it.

Despite all she had done to me, despite how much she had abandoned me, I couldn't help but love her, and that love is what _hurt_ so bad. Because of that love, I couldn't help but worry about someone who probably wants me dead.

Just thinking about the very real possibility of Yang dying in the forest to the storm or the Grimm made my heart still.

Fortunately, Lucifer knew me well enough to figure it out.

"You needn't fret, your dearest sister is quite fine. She actually got on the first transport out. Didn't even get to see the traumatizing terror of having her classmates brutally torn apart in front of her, of seeing her teachers valiantly give their lives for her." He comforted me in his own special way.

With that weight off my heart, I could let out a breath of relief.

"Did anything else important happen?" I asked.

"Well, a large number of your classmates and teachers perished…" He began

"And?" I wondered, not seeing the part that mattered.

"And, you must think of the big picture, the long game, the cause and effect. That will have a large impact on the general morale and mindset of the students attending right now. There are many seeds this day has sown." He answered.

"I won't tell you all of them, though, that would ruin the fun." He added with an amused smile as he took another sip from his mug.

"Not sure I get this 'fun' you speak of so much yet." I commented.

"Oh, you will. One day you'll understand." He said with a sly grin.

Then his face straightened up once more as he gave me an odd look with a raised brow.

"On that note, however, your sister. I'm still not certain why you care for her so dearly. It's not like she's really done much of anything beneficial to you." He wondered out loud.

"She's still my big sister. I still remember when we were happier, when we felt like a family. I can't just throw those memories away, I'll always love her, even if she doesn't love me back." I tried to explain.

"You wouldn't understand." I added with sigh.

He shook his head, saying, "No, I wouldn't. But, that's what's so interesting about you and your kind, when you do these unpredictable, illogical, things."

Then, he gave me a side glance and a grin.

"For example, what you did with the nightmares? That was _inspired_." He praised.

And I couldn't help but blush slightly under it.

"I just needed some information. I figured it was the best way to do it." I explained, purposefully looking away from him.

In response, he chuckled, saying, "So in order to get that information, you gave every single one of your classmates a horrifying nightmare in which they were tested, and ultimately killed. All because you're a little shy."

"It wasn't that bad. Nobody felt any actual pain." I pouted, not seeing the problem.

"True, on its own it might have simply stayed what it seemed to be, a harmless little nightmare, a small little fright that would have simply fallen away after their glorious and easily won success in the Emerald Forest." He began with a consolatory nod

"But, it was more than that." He said, a grin growing on his face.

"That nightmare you gave them was a primer, something that set your classmates up for something truly _glorious_. Something that the harsh realities of truth ruthlessly detonated in a blaze of beauty and brutality." He added, with each word his grin grew wider, his teeth grew sharper, more predatory, and the twilight madness within him slowly spilled forth from his form.

"And still, the madness rages. Today marks a change in the fate of this world, a change in the path limited mortals call _destiny_. Today, fate has been torn asunder, and forever devastated by the two of us." He continued, reaching his controlled crescendo.

Then he paused, taking a deep breath of the Purgatory, and closing his eyes as he tilted his head up to the "ceiling". A small smile graced his face as he let it out.

"And I'm not sorry." He finished, opening his starry void eyes. And with that, he grew quiet.

In a moment of comfortable silence, we turned to look at the Light in front of us. We could see its energy churning and roiling violently. It was beautiful and hypnotizing, but at the same time, filled with dangerous fury. It...pulsed, like a heartbeat, and with each pulse, it sent streams of new realities, sparks of new possibilities, into the vast existence around us.

"So Lucifer." I said, turning to him.

"Hmm?" He hummed in acknowledgement, looking back to me from the sun in front of us.

"Why him?" I asked, gesturing to the body he held here.

Catching my meaning, he gave me another smirk.

"I like him. I find him thoroughly entertaining." He replied, taking a sip from his mug.

"You didn't kill him, did you?" I inquired, wary of the response.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He teased with a smirk.

I sighed again, realizing that I shouldn't have expected an answer.

After another moment of comfortable silence, he broke it with a question of his own.

"So, my young disciple." He began fondly

In response I just turned back to him again.

"Why _do_ you like to call me Lucifer? I'm known by so many names, and this one isn't generally considered my most benevolent."

"Oh, well…" I began, trying to find the right words for it.

Finally, after a moment of his unblinking stare, I found them.

"Where you're from, the name's a stigma, a mark of evil, right?" I asked

"Yes?" He answered cautiously with a raised brow, not sure where I was going with this.

"But, it also means something else." I continued.

"It means 'Morning Star', 'Light-Bearer', and that's what you are to me. You're my Morning Star, my bearer of Light. Without you, I wouldn't have this chance. I would be gone, nothing, lost to the void." I continued as I turned to the Light in front of me.

Glancing back towards Lucifer, I finished by saying. "That's why I call you Lucifer, because I owe everything to you."

He snorted in amusement, chuckling lightly and shaking his head. He released his mug, which simply melted from its paltry existence in Purgatory rather than fall to the ground. Then he dropped his free hand on my head, ruffling my hair fondly.

"I have to say, my disciple, you are just full of surprises. Why, I think you just might be one of the only beings in existence actually _fond_ of me." He said, grinning.

And with that, we continued to stare at the massive, churning Light in front of us, all while my body slept and healed itself. We would be here for a while, but time didn't exactly pass normally in the world.

And I wasn't looking forward to returning.

* * *

**Goodwitch pov**

_What now?_ I thought groggily.

Apparently, I had fallen asleep at my desk, still working to organize the chaos caused by the slaughter earlier.

My scroll, which lay beside my head, was vibrating quite loudly.

_BZZT BZZT_

Groaning as I forced myself to awaken, I attempted to regain some sense of order about myself. I reached for the Scroll, looked at the I.D., and couldn't recall seeing it before. Though, that isn't exactly unusual for someone in my position.

So, in my best attempt to resemble my normal calm and controlled self, I answered the call with a tired, "Hello?"

 _"Is Ms. Goodwitch there?"_ The voice on the other end inquired.

The voice, though unfamiliar, was of a young woman's, potentially in the age range of the student body.

"This is she speaking." I responded, blinking back sleep.

There was a split second pause.

_"Ms. Goodwitch, this is Blake Belladonna, I'm one of the incoming Initiates." She began._

_Blake Belladonna?_ I thought, the name sounding familiar.

As I worked through my sleep-addled mind, I struggled to remember how and why. Then, I did.

" _I was one of the Initiates in the first wave of Initiation. Me, my partner, and another pair of Initiates were unable to get to the evac site in time, but we found shelter in a cave to weather out the storm."_ She explained.

 _Right, Ms. Belladonna. One of the many we left behind in the forest._ I remembered

"Who all is with you and what is their condition?" I inquired, my mind quickly becoming alert at the influx of this new, and finally good, information.

"I have minor lacerations and burns on my arms and hands, but am otherwise combat capable. Jaune Arc has some minor bruising and perhaps a few internal injuries, but appears to be combat capable as well. Pyrrha Nikos has a broken arm and a potential concussion, though she is still ambulatory. Lilith Totenrot is…alive, but unconscious, possibly in a coma." She explained

At the mention of Lilith Totenrot, my heart skipped a beat.

 _She's…alive? She's actually still alive? I…I can't believe it._ I thought, relief flooding me, threatening to overwhelm my calm exterior.

Nevertheless, I shoved it down and pushed it to the side, refusing to let it show. That said, one thing did stand out.

"A coma?" I reiterated, concerned by what she meant.

There was silent, tense, pause that lasted for a second or two, yet seemed to stretch on for minutes.

" _I'm not entirely sure what happened. She did…something…before passing out, bleeding out from her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. She's been unconscious, though stable, ever since the tornado touched down yesterday."_ She explained.

I narrowed my eyes at her description of what happened. It sounded suspiciously similar to what happened when I first met the young girl, though, even then, it was simply from the nose. This sounded several degrees worse.

Still, she was alive. Ruby was still alive after all. I hadn't failed her completely.

 _Not yet_. I thought darkly

"Send me your location from your scroll. I'll work on scrambling a rescue team to your position right away." I said, my mind racing as I was already at work figuring out what I would need to do in order to organize this rescue party.

" _Yes, Ms. Goodwitch."_ She responded.

"In the meantime, stay safe and don't go anywhere. If your current location is safe and defensible, then the best thing you can do is stay there until we arrive." I added.

" _I understand."_ She acknowledged.

"Good, we'll be there shortly." I finished, ending the call.

Immediately afterward I got to work, calling the right people and figuring out how to allocate resources towards search and rescue operations for today. The fury of the wind and lightning from the storm knocked out most of the surveillance system in the forest, another issue we would need to address.

But, despite how much work I had ahead of me now, I couldn't help but feel better. I finally received some good news, after nothing but more and more depressing information kept making its way to me.

I finally had a tiny little ray of hope.

* * *

A little over an hour and a half later, I was in a medivac Bullhead with two others as escorts, on my way to the forest.

 _And Ruby_ That little voice in the back of my mind said. As much as I tried to be impartial, with this young girl I found it quite hard. I kept feeling like I was responsible for her.

After all, I'm the one who brought her here thinking I could give her a better life.

In an attempt to direct my thoughts away from those of guilt, I looked out the window into the forest below me. The Emerald Forest had been ravaged by the tornado. It had cut a large swath through the forest, leaving a giant scar in the form of debris and ruined trees. Many trees had in fact been uprooted from the severity of the winds the forest was subjected to.

The good news was that this would mean that there would be plenty of places to land the Bullhead. The bad news was that this, combined with the ruined surveillance system, the stirred up horde of Grimm down there, and a half dozen other factors, meant that we wouldn't be sending in the second wave of Initiates anytime soon.

If we did it at all this year.

In any case, the pilots soon arrived at the location sent to us from Ms. Belladonna.

As we began to touch down on the ground, I looked out the window and saw Ms. Belladonna standing outside the cave entrance waiting for us. She had a bandages wrapped around her head, arms, and hands, a torn up shirt with minor cuts and bruises visible underneath the tears.

After we land I disembark from the craft, along with the medical personnel.

One goes to attend to Ms. Belladonna, but she waves him off, telling him she's fine.

She comes up to me, and I can tell she's about to tell me some kind of accounting of what happened, but right now, I don't want to hear it. So instead I use what self-control I have left to calmly tell her to wait until she's safe and rested back at the hospital. She thanks me, nodding as a sign of gratitude, before heading off to one of the Bullheads.

I turn back to the cave entrance, and it takes every bit of composure I have not to run in there. Instead I attempt to calmly walk up to the entrance.

Once inside, I see Pyrrha Nikos in a curious state of dress, with her left arm wrapped in bandages. She greets us with a relieved smile before leading us down the winding caverns towards where Jaune and Ruby lay.

As soon as I see her unconscious form, everything else around me seems to fade away. I can still hear the distant voices of the other's talking around me, it's all still there, but compared to her well-being, it's all irrelevant.

I kneel down next her, observing her still body.

 _She almost looks dead_ I think, _laying down here like this._

 _She looks…peaceful…though._ I notice.

Looking at her like this, I can't help but remember the events surrounding our first meeting.

Soon, the medical personnel pick her up and carry her to the medivac Bullhead. Soon everyone is on board a Bullhead, and we're all heading back to Beacon. Using my position as headmistress and my cover as her aunt, I ride along with Ruby in the medivac. As promised, I don't interfere with their work, but the whole way there I can't help but wonder.

_Have I truly saved her?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy
> 
> Fucking
> 
> Shitbuckets
> 
> We're finally out of the goddamn forest.
> 
> I wanted to get the fuck out of there and get on with the goddamn story as much as the rest of you.I just don't generally feel comfortable rushing through things, or throwing away time I could use, like the 20 or so hours between Team ANBL getting stuck in the cave, and the them getting out. I even felt a little uncomfortable with how I got them out. Felt like I was rushing things there. It's kind of a personal writing problem I have. Taking the slow as fuck route
> 
> Still though, I also kinda just wanted to get them the fuck out
> 
> But regardless, they're finally out, and they're not going back anytime soon.
> 
> And with the forest out of the way, I want to go onto more important topics.
> 
> Also
> 
> Surprise
> 
> Ruby caused the nightmares.
> 
> And she's not sorry.
> 
> It probably wasn't much of a surprise since I hinted the shit out of it throughout the story.
> 
> I might have actually tipped my hand a bit there, but what's done is done.
> 
> In case you couldn't tell, Ruby and Lucifer have a pretty close relationship.
> 
> Oh, and we got to see some more of Yang's nightmares.
> 
> Yeah, that's going to be a thing now.
> 
> Why?
> 
> You'll find out, if you haven't already.
> 
> Also it's fun.
> 
> Oh, and if you didn't get enough Lucifer, you're getting some more next Scene. Then I'm going to chill on the whole Lucifer thing. Don't want to indulge you too much on him.
> 
> More importantly, next scene teams are officially formed, and someone has to make an important choice.


	19. Scene 19: Reward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teams are officially formed and we take another look and Lucifer gives Ruby a tough choice and a cunning deal.

**Yang pov**

The four of us, me, Weiss, Nora, and Ren, had all been called up to the Headmaster's office after breakfast through our scrolls. Right now, we were standing there in the clock tower, waiting nervously for him to address us.

He was standing with his back turned toward us, looking out the large window, occasionally taking sips from his mug.

 _What could he want?_ I thought nervously.

We were supposed to just receive a more extensive tour of the school, followed by registering for classes. That was supposed to take up the whole week before the Induction ceremony at the end after the second wave of initiates went through Initiation.

 _Did we do something wrong?_ I wondered _Are we in trouble?_

 _Did we fail?_ I considered.

I couldn't see how, I thought we did everything we were supposed to. But, then, we weren't supposed be here.

Professor Ozpin let out a loud sigh, shaking me out of my thoughts. He finally turned toward us with a blank look on his face.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why you're here?" He said.

"D-did we do something wrong, Professor?" Weiss inquired

"No." He said with a shake of his head. "No, you did nothing wrong at all."

Then he paused again, taking a sip from his mug.

"Do you know why Beacon has such rigorous entrance standards?" He asked with a questioning brow.

We all looked at each with puzzled faces, wondering where he was going with this. Finally, Weiss decided to answer him.

"Because Beacon only accepts the best, trains the best, and produces the best." She suggested, wary, but confident in her answer.

"Hmm…that _is_ one of the reasons, yes, and that is the standard answer used today, but it isn't the primary reason why." He responded thoughtfully.

At that, Weiss grew a frown on her face as her looked turned pensive.

"Then, why _does_ Beacon have such strict entrance requirements?" Nora asked curiously.

"Beacon has such strict entrance requirements due, primarily, to one fact…" He began, walking over to his desk.

"Most all Huntsmen and Huntresses at this academy would rather you have your dreams crushed, than your lights extinguished." He intoned darkly as he reached his desk.

He placed his mug down on the table with a _clack_ that rung out in the dead silence his statement had caused.

"We only accept the best, not specifically because we only want the best to pass, but because only the best _can_ pass. Becoming a Hunter is dangerous, and being one, even more so. If we allow anything less than the best to go out into the world, filled with confidence and pride, then they would be slaughtered" He explained.

"As there was yesterday." He finished as he picked up an active scroll from his desk.

And with that, the temperature in room plummeted. I could feel my blood run cold as I silently recoiled in shock.

" _What_." I managed to whisper out.

In response, Ozpin sighed, glancing away before returning his gaze toward us.

"The Initiation has always intended to be a trying trial for hopeful initiates. Something that would discourage the weakest, and highlight the most capable. It seems that yesterday's Initiation was...a bit too successful. Tragically so, in fact."

"What happened?" Weiss asked worriedly.

"A massacre. A large number of the initiates that entered the forest that morning are either dead or missing. Even more are injured and in the hospital. Only a handful made it out unscathed." He bluntly answered with a blank look.

"Physically or mentally." He added with a frown.

Then he directed his attention to the scroll in front of him, interacting with it for some unknown purpose.

"A-are you saying we got _lucky?_ That we managed to escape a massacre just because we were fortunate enough to get there first?" I asked, my dread growing.

I couldn't help but be reminded of my dream last night. Of my nightmare.

I could hear a little voice in the back of my mind send a shiver down my spine as it whispered, _Looks like you managed to cheat death again. It's only a matter of time, though, before you finally have to pay up._

At my question, Ozpin shook his head

"Luck? No. That, Ms. Xiao-long, was something you all _earned_. It wasn't something the universe decide to give to you on a silver platter. You worked hard to get there, and showed a great deal of potential and talent to do so." He argued.

"And I think you all should be rewarded for your efforts." He announced with a small smile.

"Rewarded?" Weiss questioned, surprised.

"Yes. You in particular, Ms. Schnee, have earned it. So, congratulations..." He began, handing the scroll in his hands to Weiss.

"Team Wyvern." He finished

Weiss, with a puzzled frown, graciously took the scroll from him, and read out the contents on the screen to us.

"It says: **Team WYVR (WYVERN)** " She read off

" **Members: Weiss Schnee, Nora Valkyrie Yang Xiao-Long, Lie Ren** "

" **Leader:** …" And with that, she paused, her eyes widening and her jaw going somewhat slack.

" **Weiss Schnee** " She finished, stunned

Weiss continued to stare at the scroll. Then, ever so slowly, a smile crawled onto her face. But there was…an edge…to the smile, and edge that had no place on the normally well-mannered face of the heiress. There was a look in her eyes, one that held an air of familiarity.

One that reminded of my lost sister, and the look that promised many sleepless nights.

I could tell from looking at her. I could tell from being well versed in them myself. Her mask was slipping, giving us a peak behind the sweet, perfect, well mannered, heiress. A peek behind the nice human that society accepts, and a glance at the ugly truth underneath.

And as her own mask slipped, I could feel mine slip as well. As I saw that familiar look on her face, I remembered when I saw that same look on my precious baby sister's face for the first time, the look that had no place on her young form. I could feel myself slip back into that oh so vivid memory.

" _It's okay Yang, I educated them."_ I could hear her say.

I could feel myself getting immersed in the memory

" _They understand now."_

I could feel it threaten to consume me, to shatter that carefully crafted mask I wore.

" _They understand the truth."_

So, I pushed back. In an effort to preserve that mask of mine that kept me safe and sane, I pushed back.

I forced myself to act, to move, to do something in accordance with my mask.

"Nice going princess!" I said with a cheerful smile as I gave her a powerful and congratulatory pat on the back.

The vibrant, teasing actions I performed I had done so frequently, and so convincingly over my life, it almost came naturally.

Almost.

Still, the shock of it knocked Weiss out of her little power-crazed stupor, and gave me the nudge I needed to knock my mask back firmly in place. Once again, just for a little bit, I could forget about my lost, hollow, little sister, and focus on the accomplishments of now.

After all, we had done it. We had passed, and apparently with flying colors. We had all made it out safe and sound, and we were being rewarded for our actions even. I just needed to look on the bright side.

And forget about the blood it was built on.

After my pat on the back, Weiss went from pleased, to indignant, and began to level a mildly irritated glare at me for my nickname for her. She was stopped when Ren spoke his piece.

"Good job Weiss, you earned it." He said with a small, sincere, smile.

In response, she closed her eyes, letting out a breath, before smiling again. This time it was more…serene, relaxed, and pleased than the one before.

"Thank you Ren." She responded graciously.

"Whoohoo!" Nora joined in, cheering.

"That scroll is something you will find most useful in managing your team. In addition, it will allow you and your team to register for classes, and chose your housing situation." Professor Ozpin explained.

"Something you get the first choice of out of all the freshmen this year, in deference to your performance in the forest." He added with a smirk.

"Thank you Professor Ozpin." Weiss said cordially.

"You are most welcome, but the best way you can thank me is by proving that I didn't give that to you in vain. Do not waste my gifts, Ms. Schnee." He responded with a small amused smile.

"I won't, Professor Ozpin." She responded resolutely.

Then, as the edges of her mouth curled upwards ever so slightly, she repeated it, saying with a whisper, "Oh, I _definitely_ won't."

Soon, however, we left, and made our way down to the housing office to get our housing situation set up. But, on the way down, and as happy as I forced myself to feel, I couldn't help but feel a churning pit in my stomach at what it cost to get here.

 _I truly wonder what it's going to be like when you finally get your comeuppance._ That little voice in my head said to me. _You know what they say, after all._

_Karma's a bitch._

* * *

**Blake pov**

We were sitting in the waiting room of the hospital. The hospital we had been in all morning.

Pyrrha was in a hospital gown and her left arm in a cast, apparently it had a mild fracture, something that would heal up in a day or two, if that. What was really surprising about it was the fact that was _all_ she had. Again, considering what the Death Stalker did to her, and what happened to her arm when she killed it, I would have expected more severe and pervasive injuries.

It was one of the things I tried to ask her about, but seeing as she didn't even remember the events themselves, she couldn't really give me an answer. It still felt like there was something she was hiding from me about it, but she seemed as surprised as I was about her unusually good condition.

All of us had actually been given an examination to see how we were. At first, I tried to hide my Faunus heritage from the doctors using a hat I had…procured… in the hospital somewhere.

Old habits die hard.

Still, that cover lasted until the doctor decided that I was fit enough to be called an idiot, and smacked in the side of the head with said hat. He grumbled, saying I was really just making it harder for myself with that stunt. Things like that fact I was a Faunus, along with what _type_ of Faunus could have a big impact on a diagnosis.

That said, he did gave me back the hat.

Soon all of us were given a relatively clean bill of health. Most of our injuries were just flesh wounds, something that would be a little uncomfortable and require bandages, but wouldn't really impair us too badly. Especially with our Aura. All of us were fit to leave whenever we wanted. All of us except…

Lilith.

Lilith was still in the ICU, and only her family was permitted to even see her. We weren't even sure what was wrong with her, just that she wasn't waking up.

After our little check ups, we were debriefed on what happened down there and how we survived. As a kind of act of trust, and at Pyrrha's plea, we omitted the part where she had a blackout. Well, we neglected to tell them that Pyrrha couldn't recall what she did. After that, we were dismissed.

So, we sat there in the waiting room of the hospital, hoping for any news about Lilith at all. We sat in the sterile white room filled with the scent of hand sanitizer and the dull buzz of activity. At first we talked a bit, but we quickly ran out of things to say.

Not that we really wanted to say anything at all.

Then the awkward silence was finally ended by the sound of a door behind us squeaking open. We all turned to look at the new arrival, and were surprised by what we saw. Though, in hindsight, I shouldn't really have been too shocked.

"Professor Ozpin?" Jaune said questioningly in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Pyrrha asked.

"Is there anything wrong with visiting injured students?" Ozpin asked with a raised brow.

"Er…no, no, it's just…we're surprised to see you is all." Pyrrha explained.

"I would have thought you had more important things to do than visit little old us." Jaune added

Ozpin hummed in acknowledgement as he took a sip from his ever-present mug.

"You seem to undervalue your worth, especially to me. Regardless, stopping by for a checkup isn't the only reason I'm here." He began.

"But, I'd rather discuss these things in private." He added, gesturing with his cane to follow him.

He led us through the hospital into what looked like a conference room of some kind. As I closed the door behind us, I could hear it slowly dampen the chatter and energy of the hospital outside the room, before cutting it off completely.

As we took note of the dimly lit room, taking everything in and picking a spot to sit around the large, oval shaped, dark wooden table in the center of the room, I could hear Ozpin mutter under his breath, _"Lets see if things go better than they did last time."_

I opted to take a seat in one of the corner chairs, feeling more comfortable with all of the room in my immediate vision and my back to an empty corner than I did sitting towards the middle like Pyrrha. Jaune, in a sort of compromise, sat in between the two of us.

Without another word, Professor Ozpin sat down in the seat opposite Jaune, reclining in the chair, closing his eyes, and placing his mug on the table with a _clack_ that cut through the weighted silence in the room.

As he sat there for a moment, the smell of black tea slowly began to fill the room, pushing out the sterilized scent of the hospital.

"Ms. Belladonna, I'm sure your ears would appreciate it if you took off that hat. I quite doubt they're comfortable under there." He said in a dull tone, not even bothering to open his eyes when he did.

Had it been anyone else, and had this happened a day earlier, I would have probably been shocked, or even alarmed to hear that. But after the little sharing session yesterday, and what happened to my little black bow, I wasn't terribly worried.

I figured that if anyone knew what I was, then it was Professor Ozpin.

So, answering his request, I silently removed the black flat cap from my head. I rubbed my slightly sore ears as they twitched under their newly regained freedom. The flat cap, honestly, wasn't the most comfortable thing for my ears, but it was better than some alternatives I had had to wear in the past.

 _I hate wigs_ I thought in response to a particularly unpleasant mission came to mind. _And hair nets._

"I can understand why you feel the need to hide, Ms. Belladonna, and as much as I would like to eliminate racism from the school, and indeed, society, I am only a man, not a god. Still, I can, at the very least, allow you to feel as comfortable as possible within my means." He explained.

"…Thank you Professor." I responded, a little surprised. "But…why?"

"Why?" He reiterated with a raised brow

"I have many problems and issues that require my attention due to what I know, as well as my position. Racism I find to be one of the most trivial and, paradoxically, one of the most problematic." He elaborated tiredly with a frown, his eyes still closed shut as he reclined in the chair.

He paused for again for a moment, sighing tiredly.

"Today has been a very long, and very strenuous day, and it appears to be a trend that will continue through the week, if not the rest of the year." He admitted.

Then, slowly, the corners of his mouth curved upwards ever so slightly.

"And I am so glad I was able to save this for last." He said.

"Save what for last?" Jaune asked, his face twisted in confusion.

With Jaune's prodding, Professor Ozpin finally opened his eyes and sat up. He paused to take another sip of his tea before responding.

"You four are quite possibly the best news I have gotten all day. You are, honestly speaking, one of the few things that gave me the strength carry on." He confessed.

"We are?" Jaune responded, staring at the professor, slack jawed in disbelief.

"Oh yes. I'm sure you all know by now what happened in the forest, correct?" He asked.

"Yes, professor." Pyrrha answered as Jaune directed his gaze towards the table, his jaw clenched.

"Then you know that you aren't the only team that didn't make out of the forest yesterday." He elaborated.

"You _are_ , however, the only team that managed to survive the night all on your own in that forest, and return to us safe and sound."

"Not all of us did." Jaune remarked, his voice tinged with the bitter flavor of loss as his hair shadowed his face.

"Yes, Ms. Totenrot-" Ozpin began to reply

"Is she?" Jaune interrupted.

"-She is fine, Mr. Arc. She is simply suffering from extreme Aura exhaustion, blood loss, and a mild infection. Nothing life threatening. That said, she will be bedridden for at least a week, if not longer, and you'll have to ask her aunt for permission to see her, if you feel so inclined." He placated.

At his words, I let out a silent breath of relief. It felt like a weight that was on all of our shoulders, a pressure that had been in the atmosphere, was finally removed.

 _Thank god she's alright_ I thought.

I couldn't help but realize that she had endeared herself to me more while unconscious than she ever did while she was awake. I can't say I truly liked her, we hadn't ever really talked, and even when we did it wasn't on good terms. But, I also can't say I disliked her, and I certainly didn't think the girl deserved to die.

"Who…who _is_ her aunt, Professor?" Pyrrha asked hesitantly, likely not sure if she even had the right to ask.

At Pyrrha's question, Professor Ozpin smirked and replied, "Ms. Goodwitch."

My eyebrows shot up to my hairline as my eyes widened and my jaw loosened ever so slightly.

 _The headmistress?_ I thought questioningly in surprise. _That…was unexpected._

Jaune had already said that Lilith was staying with her aunt here, I just never expected her aunt to be the headmistress herself. In hindsight, I couldn't really give a specific reason why, Ms. Goodwitch just didn't…fit…in my mind at the time.

 _But…considering how she acted back in forest…it makes sense._ I realized.

No wonder she essentially just brushed me off. She had just discovered her niece was alive, yet far from well. I'm honestly surprised she kept it together as well as she did.

"In any case, I believe it's time I actually got to the main reason I am here." He announced, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"You four, have passed." He began as he started to take something out of his inside pocket.

"Congratulations, Team Anvil. You've earned it." He said, turning on the device and revealing it to be a scroll.

"I'll be expecting great things thing from you…Ms. Belladonna." He added with a pleased smile, holding out the scroll to me.

I had to struggle to keep myself from recoiling in shock.

"What…" I muttered numbly. Barely even thinking about my actions, I robotically took the scroll from him, and silently read the contents.

**Team ANBL (ANVIL)**

**Members:**

**Blake Belladonna, Jaune Arc.**

**Pyrrha Nikos, Lilith Totenrot**

**Leader:**

**Blake Belladonna**

"I'm the leader…" I murmured, still stunned by the revelation.

"Good job Blake!" Jaune congratulated happily, clapping me on the shoulder.

"You deserve it." Pyrrha agreed with a small, vibrant smile.

I barely even registered the other two's existence. Instead, my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, feelings, and most of all…panic.

 _This is not what was supposed to happen_ I thought in fear.

I was just supposed to be in the background and not draw attention to myself. I was going to stay in the shadows, not doing too well or too poorly. Just average. Just enough to be ignored and unnoticed. That's how I had always lived my life, after all.

In the shadows.

But now I was leader of a team. Not just any team, a team with the wildly famous Pyrrha Nikos, as well as Ms. Goodwitch's niece. I was leader of the only team to have weathered the storm, surviving by themselves in the forest after being left behind. The amount of attention that would be directed towards us meant one thing.

There was no way I could simply hide in the shadows now.

I looked up at Professor Ozpin with wide, pleading eyes, hoping and praying there was some mistake. Instead, he looked back at me with a wide grin tinged with mischief and pride, his eyes filled with confidence and expectation. It was then I knew.

There was no getting out of this.

* * *

**2 Hours Later**

After I had been named leader, something I was still trying to wrap my head around, we took a ride back to Beacon with Professor Ozpin.

I had put the black flat cap back o my head, and I'd probably be wearing it for a while, at least until I could find a satisfactory replacement for my bow.

Not that anything could really replace it.

Still, though, the flat cap would do for now. Even if my team knew about me being a faunus, that didn't mean I was going to advertise it to the whole school. Even if my team accepted me for what i was, I doubted that everyone else would extend that courtesy.

At least I could give my ears a nice break in our room. This hat wasn't the most comfortable of things.

A top hat or bowler hat would probably be more comfortable but...

_no._

_Just...no_. I thought with a shake of my head.

Before we had left the hospital, Professor Ozpin gave each of us one set of the school uniform in our size to change into. Something we were all in need of. Now we were on our way to the locker rooms to collect our stuff before heading over to the housing office

As we entered the room, I pulled out the piece of paper that had somehow survived Initiation in my pocket.

 _Locker Number 1998_ It read.

"My stuff's in locker 1431." Jaune said, looking down at the paper he had taken from his pocket.

"Where the hell is that? And why is the number so big?" He murmured questioningly with a furrowed brow.

"It's a system to describe where it is. 1 is the year of the locker. 4 is the row. 31 is the locker number in that row." I explained, looking down all the rows for the ninth one.

 _There_ I thought, seeing it.

As I made my way over to it, I saw Jaune and Pyrrha moving towards their own out of the corner of my eye.

I was still a little wary about Pyrrha, but she seemed be a bit more...normal...recently. She hadn't acted like cold-blooded killer again, so that was something.

Aside from those rare moments where she had caused my instincts to scream _Danger!,_ she was actually quite nice. Much different than I would have expected the "Invincible Girl" to be, considering how famous she was.

I'm not sure how I would have been able to deal with being on a team with someone who was important, knew it, and liked to flaunt it.

It probably wouldn't end well.

And Jaune, well, he was green, something that was very apparent during the fight. Still, he could follow directions well enough, so he wouldn't be a big problem.

Plus, I could get along with him easily enough, and he seemed to respect my privacy.

Something they both did.

 _Lets hope it stays that way. I'd rather they not try to pry into the skeletons in my closet._ I thought as walked down the row to the end

That said...I should probably extend that same courtesy to the rest of them. Lilith, Pyrrha, and even Jaune seemed to all have something...off...about them. Something they were trying to hide, or some kind of mystery surrounding them.

 _I guess we all do_ I realized with a silent amused smirk.

And with that thought, I resolved to leave my teammates to their own devices, to a degree, at least. I'd give them a measure of privacy, and as much as my curiosity drove me to delve further into them, I would leave their secrets be.

As long as it didn't become a major concern, that is.

I was shaken out of my thoughts when my ears twitched at a quiet whisper.

 _"No..."_ It said silently in despair. Had I been human, I probably wouldn't have been able to pick up on it.

 _Pyrrha? Did something happen?_ I wondered, recognizing her voice.

Turning away from my own locker for a second, I made my way over the red head.

"Pyrrha? Whats wrong?" I said, walking over to her.

"Can I-" I began before the words died in my throat at the sight before me.

Pyrrha was sitting on the ground, leaning up against the row of lockers in front of hers, looking at her own with a lost look on her face, just like what she wore in the cave after waking up. Her locker had been torn open, the door nearly ripped off it's hinges, and it was devoid of contents inside.

"O-oh." Was all I was able to say.

It looked like while we were gone, someone had come in, broke open her locker, and stolen everything inside.

I looked back toward her with a sympathetic look on my face. With this, she had lost everything she had brought with. Literally all she had was her weapons, and her ever present bronze headdress.

"Pyrrha I...I'm sorry." I said, not knowing what else to do.

I could see her eyes redden and water, tears threatening to spill forth as she looked up to the ceiling. "Why?" She whispered with trembling lips.

"Why?" I repeated

I gave a disgruntled sigh as I turned back to the looted locker before me.

 _Probably because you're the "Invincible Girl"_ I thought cynically.

If a couple students knew she didn't get back on a transport and get back to Beacon, then they would know that her stuff was still in her locker. They would also know that they could sell anything related to the rising star for a fortune, and now would be the best time to do it. How they knew which locker was hers, I could only guess at, but it seemed the most likely scenario.

"Because some people are assholes." I muttered.

Looking back toward her, I wondered about what to do. Emotional stuff still _really_ wasn't my thing. But...

I was the leader now. I should probably at least put in a good faith effort.

Even if I felt like I had no idea what I was doing.

So, with a resigned sigh, I offered a hand down to her.

"Come on, get up." I said in a soft voice. I almost winced at how...tactless that was.

Still, it did the job.

Pyrrha looked up at me with those teary emerald eyes, before nodding. She wiped the tears from her eyes with her hands, before turning back to me to accept the hand given.

Grasping onto her surprisingly rough hand, I pulled her up and-

 _Holy shit is she heavy._ I thought in surprise. Pyrrha was surprisingly heavy, much more than she looked. I actually had to use Aura to assist me a bit when I pulled her up.

Once on her own two feet, I gave her a little once over, trying to figure out why the hell she weighed so much.

 _Is that all muscle?_ I thought incredulously.

It was then that I noticed the coils of muscle running up and down her arms again. It wasn't excessive, like if she was some sort of bodybuilder, but it was...extensive. It wasn't muscle simply formed to lift big things, it muscle built to _do_ things, and do them well. It was athletic and slim, but powerful.

And it honestly made my arms feel like twigs in comparison.

Not that I really felt the need to bulk up or anything, it was just...

Holy shit, she had a lot of well toned muscle.

Shaking my head from the thoughts of her athletic form, I brought myself back to the topic at hand.

"We can go ask security about it later. I'm sure they have a state of the art security system in case this sort of thing happens." I said, trying to comfort her.

She gave me small nod and sniffle in acknowledgement.`

"But first, why don't we head to the housing office after me and Jaune get our stuff. That way we can actually sleep in a bed. I think would all use a good nap on something better than rocks." I remarked with a small smirk, trying to bolster her spirits.

Given the small chuckle and light smile that grew on her lips, I'd say it worked.

"That does sound good." She responded, her mood already brightening.

 _Maybe I won't actually be a terrible leader after all_ I thought as I walked back to my own locker.

Though, as Jaune walked up and Pyrrha told him what happened, I couldn't help the second thought.

_Doesn't mean it's going to be easy._

* * *

**Ruby pov**

As I stared out into the star before me, I saw, out of the corner of my eye, Lucifer's lips curl upwards ever so slightly.

I had a distinct feeling of foreboding at the sight of his small sinister smile.

"What is it?" I asked warily, deciding to take the initiative.

At my question, his grin widened, though he continued to look at the Light.

"Something very… _interesting_ …is about to happen." He commented cryptically.

At the use of the word _interesting_ , I frowned.

" _Interesting_?" I questioned.

"Oh yes," he began.

Then he glanced towards me, shifting his head ever so slightingly in my direction to gaze at me with his starry void eyes.

"Though, you can probably already tell where this might be going." He said cryptically.

I sighed, realizing I would have to play his little game.

"What's going on? What is it that's so _interesting_?" I asked.

"It seems as a consequence of your actions, as well as your current state of being, two very interesting events are about to happen, neither of which you want to happen at all." He began to explain.

As he talked I could feel my soul begin to still in fear of what was to come.

"For a price, I'll step in again and avert one of them, but the other crisis you will have to handle on your own." He offered.

"What crises?" I asked again, feeling like I was still several steps behind him, trying to play catch up.

"First," he grinned, "given the state you're in, the doctors are going to learn quite a number of curious facts about your body. Facts your caretaker will learn as well"

I could feel my soul _freeze_ in sheer dread.

"What?" I managed to breathe out as I stared up at him in horror.

"Oh yes. Your caretaker is going to learn about all kinds of secrets your physical form holds, and when you wake up, she's going to have questions. Questions, you can't just wipe away. Not in your state." He explained, turning back to the Light.

"No no no." I said under my breath, horror consuming me.

Ms. Goodwitch was going to find out about the…oddities…surrounding my body. She was going to ask about them, and eventually crack open the deep dark secrets I could never wipe away that they held.

Last time Lucifer had stepped in to shift the hands of chance in my favor. He shifted things ever so slightly to keep my secrets. He did it large part to perpetuate what he called my "truly titillating tale"

But this time…

 _I might have to face this on my own_.

And on that note.

"W-what's the other crisis?" I asked in a shaky breath, afraid to even know

In response he gave me a dark chuckle before turning his head toward me. "Your sister."

I barely managed to suck in a terrified breath before my entire being _stopped_.

My soul _cracked_ , and my mind came to a grinding halt.

"Oh yes. You're going to be in a death-like sleep for at least a week, something that will bring great concern to you caretaker. As a result of her desperation, guilt, and code of conduct, she will bring in, at the very least, you sister to find out why you're like this, if you'll be okay, and a number of other concerns." He explained, eyeing me with a cunning grin.

In response, I could only think about this one thing.

_No_

It was too soon.

 _Far_ too soon. I wasn't ready, not in the slightest. I couldn't face Yang yet.

I _was_ going to face her eventually. I was going to confront her to see if I could convince her to love me like she used to. To see if I could get her to be my big sister again.

But not now.

If all went according to what Lucifer said, then the situation would already be far outside my control by the time I could do anything about it. I would wake up with her right above me, and she would be oh so close, and I would be oh so weak.

And that…

That was unacceptable.

"So," He began, shaking me from my thoughts, "Which will you chose? I'll delay one, but the other I leave in your hands."

"I-I…I don't know." I stuttered, turning to stare out blankly into the calm, empty, Void.

I found the way the absence of the Void seemed to churn, ripple, and undulate despite its emptiness oddly calming.

Something I needed right now.

"In the end, it really comes down to who I trust not to hurt me." I said, thinking out loud and already feeling the relaxing effects of the Void on me.

"If Ms. Goodwitch learns about some of my secrets, she might learn too much. She could learn the truth. She could learn to fear me. She might even turn on me, hate me, just like my father." I considered somberly.

"Just like everybody else has." I added darkly.

"And I don't want that. I'm _tired_ of people fearing me. I don't want to have to remove her from the board, not with all the problems it would cause, not with all the potential she has, not after I'm so close to finally having things go my way. But…"

"I might have to." I said, clenching my fists. "If she turns on me, I might have to."

"And then there's your dear sister" Lucifer supplied. "One of the only things you still love."

"Yang…" I muttered mournfully.

I closed my eyes and let out a loud breath, then inhaled a nice full breath of the Void into my being in an attempt to calm my nerves.

But the storm of emotions within me would not be so easily quelled.

"On the one hand," I began, "I love her, and I want to see her again, to be able to _touch_ her again without her flinching away, so badly it _hurts_."

"But…" I said, opening my eyes taking in the dark majesty of the Void again to give me strength.

"I'm afraid." I admitted.

"I'm scared she'll reject and hate me like my father did. I want her back, but I don't know if that can happen, not yet. She knows so much about me, but she doesn't _understand_ me. No one does."

"I _want_ her to. I want her to understand and love me for how I am now. I want it more than most anything else. It's what I've worked for all my life, to come back to them, but I'm terrified it was all for not. I'm terrified that everything I've done was meaningless, that _I'm_ meaningless." I said, confessing to Lucifer my deepest, darkest fear.

I supposed it was ironic that the nothingness that was the Void was able to comfort my fears of being meaningless.

"You're going to have to confront her sometime." Lucifer commented.

"I know, I know." I conceded.

"But I want it to be on _my_ terms. I want it _all_ to be on my terms. Right now, things are out of my control, I can't do anything to influence the outcome myself. Either way, I'm going to have to rely on trust and faith." I explained.

"So then, which one will you confront? Which fear will you face?" He inquired.

As I wracked my mind with options and possibilities, I remembered something about what he had said earlier, and decided to distract myself with it.

"What's the price?" I asked, worried what this would cost me.

At that, he grinned sinisterly, "That, my dear, is an excellent question."

Turning fully to face me, he continued saying, "I want the same thing as last time."

Then, he picked up his cane and pointed it at me. He wore a wide grin filled with impossibly white teeth with a predatory edge. He looked at me with those eyes, with those stars immersed in darkness, as he told me the cost of his assistance.

"I want you, my dear, to put on a show."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like some people are going to riot over who I made Team ANBL's leader.
> 
> I can kind of understand why, a little bit.
> 
> "You had Jaune and Ruby on the same team, why not pick from them?" You might say.
> 
> To which I respond, well, yeah, but does it really matter?
> 
> Seriously, does being named the "Leader" actually matter? Not so far as I've seen.
> 
> Say Jaune's made leader of the team. If Jaune's shit as a leader, he's just going to be the technical leader. The person who's able to actually assert themselves as the actual leader will be the real one in practice.
> 
> It might be different if they were in the military or some shit, with rules and regulations, but the Huntsmen seem more informal than that.
> 
> Basically, it doesn't matter what some piece of paper says, the one who is the leader is the one who actually leads.
> 
> At least, that's how I see it.
> 
> But, regardless, that's not why I made her the leader.
> 
> Honestly, I was at an impasse regarding who was going to be the leader of Team ANBL. First it was going to be Jaune. Then I considered Ruby, then Pyrrha.
> 
> Eventually I settled on Blake in part because of how the Death Stalker fight went.
> 
> In the fight, Jaune, understandably, lost his shit for a bit and didn't really come up with any awesome plans. He did, however, take Ruby's advice and take them to the cave.
> 
> Still, the cave was Ruby's idea. She was just too busy being almost dead to follow through on it. And on that note, she didn't really contribute much to the team, other than tasing the shit out of the Death Stalker. Plus, Pyrrha and Blake kind of have to resist the urge to kill her on first glance right now. That's generally not considered terribly productive for being a leader. Not unless you know how to use it.
> 
> Then there's Pyrrha. Right up until the Death Stalker, she was a good candidate. Then she freaked out, blacked out, went weird, and started to let her crazy leak out. More importantly, she has little to no experience fighting in a team, and as such her teamwork will be kind of shit for the moment. I mean, she, herself, is strong, but the way I'm writing her the "teamwork" part of being a team isn't going to come so easy to her.
> 
> Blake, while she didn't do anything too crazy during the fight, kept it together throughout the whole day with a, mostly, level head. She has experience working in a team, though not leading one. She was able to come up with a half-ways decent plan to take out the Death Stalker, even if it was sabotaged half-way through.
> 
> Overall, I feel like they would have seen Blake as the best choice for leader.
> 
> Then there's the way I did it from a more authorial point of view.
> 
> There are literally hundreds of stories where Jaune or Ruby is the leader. That's mainly because they don't change the teams from how they are in canon.
> 
> However, in the rare case they do, Jaune or Ruby is still usually the leader.
> 
> Point is, Jaune and Ruby are usually the leader of the team or something similar. There are plenty of stories like that already, why not do something a little different.
> 
> I'm not saying there aren't any stories where she's the leader or in a leader position or the main focus or anything like that. I'm just saying they're exceedingly rare, and I think it's an idea that could work well.
> 
> Besides, I think she could be a good leader, I think it could be fun.
> 
> Especially because it would force her to develop outside her comfort zone. As she said, she likes to be in the shadows. Now she'll be the face of the team, much to her chagrin.
> 
> Not that Blake is specifically becoming the central character. She's just a main character, as are all the people on Team Annabelle
> 
> Also, Weiss is leader of Team Wyvern. That...
> 
> ...really shouldn't be a surprise. It was kind of super obvious.
> 
> Next Scene I'll let you guys in on my plan for this story.
> 
> And as a final note, perception is very important in my story. Just because a character says they see something or know something, doesn't make it fact. This isn't 3rd person omniscient or anything, the people are fallible in what they see, hear, and think.
> 
> Just keep that in mind.


	20. Scene 20: Resurrection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the of the first arc of Act II. And Ruby has made her decision, time to face the consequences as she rises from her death-like state

**Glynda pov**

_Was I wrong?_ I questioned myself.

I was sitting there, next to Ruby's bed, looking at her as the machines surrounding her beeped and hummed in rhythm. She was covered with a bedsheet, an oxygen mask attached to her face. Her eyes were closed, and the rise and fall of her chest was barely noticeable.

She truly looked like a doll right now.

The last time I had seen her like this, I had resolved to try and save her from what had brought her here, to save her from the people that had done this too her. But now, here she was, laying here again, hurt and on the edge of death.

And it was all my fault.

If I had left her with her family would she have been better off?

 _No._ I realized. _She would have been dead within a week. There was no way I was going to leave her with that monster_.

But, I could have still done something different. Something that didn't end in this, that didn't end with us coming right back to the start.

No, actually.

We weren't back at the start, because she was even worse than before.

I convinced Ozpin to tell her team a censored version of the truth, no sense in worrying them any more than I needed to.

After her team explained what happened, in quickly became apparent to me that whatever she had done had taken its toll on her.

Considering what happened to her brain, the doctors were honestly surprised her body was still alive. After all, her brain had lost a significant portion of it's original mass, being cooked and melted. She should be dead.

Clinically, they determined she was brain dead, and that she would never wake up from her coma.

Then…they noticed something.

Somehow, her brain was putting itself back together. The only explanation was that her Aura was slowly, carefully, repairing the damage done to her. How this was possible considering she was clinically dead, they didn't know. All they knew was that the MRI's were showing slow, but significant brain growth and repair.

Once they told me that, I put the pieces together and figured that something similar to this happened to her the first time we met. It simply wasn't on this scale. Back then, she had been knocked unconscious for a few hours.

Now, she had been thrown into a death-like sleep for days.

Honestly, they weren't sure when her brain would be fully back together, but they guessed it would probably take about a week. A week of her just…laying here, barely alive.

_And it's my fault._

Then, the door to the room opened to a doctor reading a clipboard, pale green clothes and a white coat. His dark blue name tag read Dr. Gartrefu in white. He looked up from the clipboard, scanning the room for half a second before his eyes landed on me.

"Ms. Goodwitch? Ms. Totenrot's Aunt, correct?" He asked.

"Correct." I affirmed, standing to shake his offered hand.

"You already know about the…interesting…situation with her brain, correct?" He asked, lowering his arm.

"Yes." I said.

"And you've only just recently obtained custody of her, correct?" He asked again.

_Technically, I'll have legal custody of her in a few months, but I do have custody of "Lilith Totenrot."_

"Correct." I affirmed again, somewhat warily this time.

_Where is he going with this?_

"What were the circumstance that placed her in your care, if I may be so bold?" He inquired.

I frowned slightly, not liking where this was going. Was he suspicious?

Still, it's why we had a cover story.

"Her village was attached by Grimm. They killed everyone in the village, except for her, and she barely managed to escape with her life." I answered in an even tone, trying to keep the tension out of her voice.

He responded with a loud, sad, sigh.

"That explains that." He said tiredly.

My frown deepened at that and I stiffened, my heart skipping a beat.

"That explains what?" I asked

"Your niece has…" He began, glancing at the girl in question.

"…Rather significant scaring on her body. It looked to be from some kind of large animal attack, but if what you're saying is true, than it makes sense. Grimm would explain it." He finished.

And suddenly, the temperature in the room plummeted as the air filled with dread and fear.

"What…" I said, my voice barely a whisper.

"I'm not surprised you don't know about the scars. They…aren't pretty. I doubt she really wanted to show them off. Honestly, it's a wonder she's still alive, but considering what her Aura's doing for her brain, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised it could do the same for her body." He explained.

 _But…it's just supposed to be a cover. It wasn't supposed to have actually happened._ I thought frantically, horror filling my mind.

I could only guess that the scars are from whatever happened to her to make her so hollow, to the event that caused her family to begin to crumble.

 _Is this why you agreed to this cover? Because it was so close to the truth?_ I wondered, staring at the poor girl.

"I can't really show you most of them, but you can see from looking at her arm," He began, uncovering the sheet over her right arm.

"That the damage she suffered was rather…extreme." He finished.

As he did, I got up from my position on her left side in order to see what he was talking about. Once I did, I was unable to suppress the shocked, horrified, gasp that escaped my lips.

Starting at around her wrist, there were small, thin, pale scars that trailed up her arm. As they did, they grew and grew. By the time it reached her elbow, they were angry red grooves rent into her skin, four deep, jagged, lines tearing their way through her alabaster arm. In addition, there were additional, smaller, slash marks perpendicular to her arm, as opposed to running along it.

Combined with the two large, grisly, bite marks along her arm, it was a gruesome sight.

"They look rather old, but considering what her Aura is doing with her brain, I'm willing to guess that's why. It's also probably the only reason she can still use her arm." He commented.

I was too shocked by the revelation to respond.

I had so many questions for her. For this hollow, broken, doll of a young girl. But they would all have to wait until she was awake again. They'd have to wait until she brought herself back from the dead. But the biggest question in my mind was for myself.

_What can I do to stop your suffering?_

* * *

**A week later**

I was sitting back in the same hospital room, staring at her, wondering what I could do to help her when it happened.

Suddenly, there was a shift in the atmosphere in the cool white room.

The shadows suddenly felt longer, darker, and filled with… _something_. The light felt brighter, harsher, more intense, and more powerful. The already cold room felt like it dropped just a few degrees lower, just low enough to be uncomfortable. That's when I knew.

She was back.

Without wasting another moment, Ruby's silver eyes shot open, immediately flitting to my position, sitting in corner in the room. She slowly rose up from the bed into a sitting position, blinking her hollow eyes a few times, shaking the tiredness from her small form.

When she was done, she looked back to me with those eyes, making the deepest parts of my psyche churn uncomfortably. But I ignored them, instead I focused on the overwhelming feeling of relief flooding me at seeing her awake again.

"Ruby…" I said to her, trying to talk over the lump forming in my throat. "You're awake."

With that, she directed her attention back to me. But something was…off.

Her hollow silver eyes normally held all her emotions, but now they were blank. They were devoid of emotions, and her face was completely unreadable.

Just like an empty doll.

"Ms. Goodwitch." She said cordially in an empty voice.

Momentarily thrown off by how incredibly hollow she seemed now, even more than normal, I couldn't help but worry if she wasn't actually all better.

"Ruby? Are you…are you okay?" I asked hesitantly, worried about the answer.

Instead of responding, she just stared into my eyes, boring into them. It felt like she was gazing into my very soul, trying to read into me, to judge me, before giving a response.

"Ms. Goodwitch…" She finally began, "Why…why are you here?"

"What?" I recoiled.

"Why are you here? Sitting in this room, waiting for me?" She asked again, looking at me carefully, taking in every inch of my body, searching for…something.

"What do you want from me?"

"I-I…" I began, trying to find a way to respond to her questioning.

For some reason, I felt that these words I said would carry incredible weight, and that I needed to be careful in response.

"I… _care_ about you Ruby, deeply so. I know you don't quite…understand that, but I do. When you didn't get on any of the transports, when you didn't get out of the forest with the rest of us on Initiation, I felt like a piece of me died inside. I felt like I had failed you." I admitted.

"Then, you were alive again. You were back, but you were broken, and I felt responsible. I had tried to save you from your father, to give you a better life than your family had given you, and yet, at the end of the day, you were in the exact same place as before. Laying on a hospital bed, inches from death." I continued.

Then I paused, gathering my wits as I prepared to broach the next topic, hoping that I didn't push her past what she felt comfortable with.

"Then I learned of your…scars." I began

She flinched, looking away from me as she unconsciously began to rub her right arm.

"And I saw your arm…" I continued, my voice barely better than a whisper.

Still, she heard it. She heard it, and froze. I could hear her voice hitch in her throat as she realized what it meant.

"And…" She trailed off with an open question, still unable to look at me. Her voice was tight, and despite her attempts to hide, I could tell she was scared.

"And…they looked painful, agonizingly so. It's a miracle you can still use your arm at all." I said.

In response, her jaw clenched tightly, and her hands balled up into tight fists.

"Y-you didn't see everything." She said, more of a statement then a question.

"No, I just saw your arm. I wanted to respect you privacy and you dignity. I didn't need to see them, I know enough." I answered.

"No…no you…" She began, each word forced from her mouth, "You need to see them."

And with that, she moved her hands to her hospital gown, beginning to attempt to take it off.

"No! Ruby, I don't. You don't need to do this, I alre-…" I began to protest, rising from my seat.

But the words died in my throat as her gown came up over her chest.

Some part of me that was still the headmistress of Beacon was concerned about the indecency of what she was doing, of stripping in this room, of what anyone would see if they looked in here.  
But, there weren't any windows in this room, so no one could see from outside. There wasn't even a camera inside.

Even if they did, all seeing her do this did to me was cut a deep gash inside my heart.

My blood chilled, and my breath was caught in a lump in my throat. I didn't even know what to say about the sight in front of me, what I could say to make it better. I thought I knew what had happened to her, I thought I knew her pain, that I could begin to understand it. But, as my stomached churned at the sight of her bare body, I knew I had been wrong.

I had been so very wrong.

Her bland, dark colored underwear protected the modesty between her legs, but Ruby never really wore a bra, never seeing the point considering her body hadn't undergone the changes that would necessitate one yet. But, she had always refused to allow me to see what she was talking about, to even attempt to help her.

She was always quite shy about her body. Always wearing long sleeves, always wearing dark clothes that wrapped her entire body up, veiling her pale skin.

Now I could see why.

The network of scars on her arm, the gashes, the large, jagged, bite marks that ran up and down her right arm didn't stop at her right arm. They continued, extending up to her right shoulder.

And from there, they went everywhere.

Her chest was a mass of ugly scars, a mess of horrendous lacerations and indelible reminders of the past.

A past where she had been eviscerated, nearly torn limb form limb.

There was barely a patch of skin on her chest that was free of the ugly scars, each one more gruesome, more telling than the last.

Deep, red, grooves were raked across her stomach, chest, and side. Savage bite marks were carved into her left shoulder, her collar bone, chest, and right abdomen. The rest of her chest was littered with crisscrossing and overlapping old wounds.

The scars terminated abruptly before her legs and left arm. They slowly fell away as they rose up to her throat, but it was clear that it hadn't been spared from the brutal experience her chest had. At the ends, the scars faded somewhat, not standing out quite as much against her porcelain skin as the more angry red ones did.

I wouldn't notice the scars at her wrist or top of her neck if I didn't see where they started, honestly.

Just thinking about what she would have had to have gone through to get these scars, what state she would have been in before her unusual Aura managed to take hold, made me sick to my stomach.

I couldn't stop thinking of a broken and bloody Ruby, barely on the edge of life, her chest torn open and her arm in bloody ribbons.

I tried to swallow the rising bile in my throat, shaking my head to push the nightmarish images from them.

After a moment of looking at her shredded body, at withstanding her blank silver gaze, I finally tried to say something.

"H-how? How are you…?" I trailed off, not wanting to even say the words, for fear of bringing up those thoughts again. For fear that once I said it, it would suddenly be so much more real.

"How am I still alive?" She guessed, tilting her head.

She paused for a moment, considering her answer, before finally responding.

"I don't know, really. I should honestly be dead." She said in an empty voice

Then she looked away from me, looking toward the far wall, and said, "As a result of what happened, I was taken away. I went away for a while. When finally I came back…I was different."

Then, she clenched her fists again as she said in a tight voice, " _Everything_ was different."

"Different, how?" I asked cautiously, not sure if I wanted an answer

"I'm not really sure I'm human anymore." She admitted

"How can you say that?!" I exclaimed, thinking that the venomous thoughts of her father had polluted her own mind. That with how often her father called her a demon, she had started to believe it herself.

In response, she gave me one of her pointed looks. The looks that suddenly made you feel as if you were talking to a wise old woman, not a little girl, as if you were the ignorant child in need of an education.

"Humans aren't supposed to survive having their brain melted." She shot back

"They aren't supposed to come back from _this_." She added, gesturing to her scarred body.

And with that, my argument died in my throat. I could see why she might think that, and as it was right now, I couldn't find a way to argue against that. But that didn't mean I thought it was true.

"You _are_ human, Ruby. I don't care what your father says, you are _not_ a demon." I said resolutely.

She looked me in the eye again, gazing into my soul once more, measuring the weight of my words. Finally, after a second of tense silence, she responded.

"We'll see…" She mused, doubtful, but not denying it outright.

Still, it was a chance. It was a way in, and I would find a way to take it, to prove to her that she isn't the demon her father thinks she is.

But, I didn't know how to do that now. I needed to think about it. Right now, her scars were too jarring, they took up too much of my thoughts. On that note, I decided to try and broach the subject again.

"How- _why_ did this happen?" I asked.

"Grimm." She said, a measure of aching sadness in her silver eyes. "Grimm, and a web of mistakes no one could take back."

Then she looked away again, pain in her eyes as she said, "I really don't want to talk about it."

That was fine. I didn't want to push her somewhere uncomfortable, I didn't want to abuse the rare measure of trust she had gifted me.

What I had learned was more than enough to make me sick to my stomach. By all rights, this girl should be dead. I can only assume that it was by virtue of her unusual Aura, Aura that could put her brain back together after it had been cooked inside her skull, that she's here today.

I can't imagine that it was any better for her. This little sharing session probably dredged up some dark, terrifying and painful memories for her. The fact she seemed to exuding more emotions than usual was a testament to that.

"Do they hurt?" I asked, wondering if we could do anything about them, if she needed painkillers or anything.

She shook her head as she grabbed the hospital blanket, "No."

As she began to wrap it around herself, she continued in a voice as hollow as her eyes by saying, "Actually, I can barely feel anything anymore."

"You can't feel pain?" I frowned.

"Not…exactly. It's more like it's…duller…more distant, less intense." She answered with a thoughtful expression, trying to figure out how to say it best.

As she continued to wrap the blanket around her, my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. I wasn't sure what to do. I felt…lost…by this revelation. I had wanted to help her before, when her father tried to kill her, when I thought I could understand what she was going through, but this?

I didn't even know what to say to this.

This was a tragedy, one she didn't deserve, and one that destroyed her life.

"I'm sorry." I finally said in a low voice, unable to look her in the eye.

"Why?" She said curiously with a tilted head. "You couldn't have done anything about it. It happened when I was a child. You didn't even know I existed. You played no part in it."

"I know, I just…I just wish I could go back and do _something_ to protect you from this pain. You didn't deserve this, no one does. And, I wish I could have done something about it." I admitted.

"Even now, I want to help you, but…I don't even know where to begin. I feel like I'm so far out of my depth, and I don't know what to do. I feel like I've failed you, after promising to give you a better life." I continued, pouring my heart out to the broken girl as I stared at the ground at my feet.

Then I saw a pale hand on my knee, and looked up to see Ruby giving me a curious look.

"You shouldn't. Life is pain, that's just a fact of living. But, sometimes things happen, people come into your life, and it eases the pain. It makes life worth living. That's all you need sometimes, a warm candle in the hungry dark to make it through the night. A little shade in the burning sun to make it through the desert." She said sincerely with those silver eyes.

"I…thank you, Ruby." I said with a weak smile, touched by her words. "Thank you."

In way of response, I saw the corners of her mouth curl upwards ever so slightly, and her hollow eyes fill with a measure of light.

* * *

After she showed me her scars, I left to get her some clothes to change into. When I returned with her school uniform, I had reorganized my thoughts enough to bring up some questions I had for her. Questions that had been de-railed by her scars.

So, as she changed into her uniform before me, I asked her.

"What happened in that Forest? What happened when we first met?" I asked

"Both times you passed out, bleeding from your orifices. This time, the doctors said your brain had _melted_. You should have died out there, you should be dead. _Why?_ " I asked, desperate for answers.

"Why, how is this happening?" I implored.

She sighed, emotion once again flickering in her eyes.

"It's…my semblance." She answered.

"Your semblance?" I questioned.

"I think." She said, her face twisting ever so slightly in confusion.

Now I was really confused.

"You _think?_ " I asked.

"Well, it's not like anyone came out and told me everything about Aura and Semblances." She countered with a frown.

"Lucifer didn't tell you?" I asked, still unsure about the existence of this "Lucifer" she spoke of.

"No, Lucifer tends to be…cryptic. He doesn't like to tell me everything, instead preferring to either have me experience it myself, or give me the clues and let me figure out the answer. He says I'll learn better that way." She answered with a shake of her head.

I could see where this "Lucifer" was coming from, I suppose. Sometimes learning hands on was the best method. Still, if Ruby wasn't even sure of her abilities, than I have to criticize his technique.

Then again, her semblance could simply be hard to understand. Perhaps he simply didn't really know how to teach her.

"So, then what are these abilities of you semblance? And what does it have to do with your brain being melted?" I asked.

"I'm…honestly not entirely sure what my semblance is. There are several…abilities… I think it's given me, and I'm not sure what their relationship is with each other." She began.

"But…they all have a cost." She said.

"What kind of …cost?" I asked worriedly.

Somewhere deep down, I probably knew where this was going. The signs were everywhere, I just didn't want to think about it.

Then she turned back to me, a sad, yet resolute look in her eyes.

"Every time I use my semblance, it gives me brain damage" She stated.

"I usually call the effect blowback, but the amount of damage I incur upon myself varies depending on the difficulty of what I'm doing."

I had figured it was something like that. It certainly explained a lot. Still, I had never heard of a Semblance with a cost other than Aura.

"Does this have anything to do with your Aura?" I asked.

"Kind of." She began, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

"My Aura will end up healing nearly any brain damage I incur, but, as you can see, that takes time. Usually a good night's rest will heal up the average amount of damage I take in a day." She explained.

"The average amount? If your semblance is hurting you, _killing_ you, you should _only_ use it in the most dire of circumstances! There shouldn't _be_ an average amount!" I cried out, furious at the idea that she can just casually say that she incurs an average amount of brain damage in a day, and not care about it.

She sighed, likely in response to how riled up I was getting in her stead.

"But that's the thing" she began

"I can't turn it off." She said with a frown.

"What?" I whispered, taken aback.

"My semblance is always on, in some way shape or form. It's like thinking, really. I can't stop it, I can only direct it and control how much I think." She said.

"So…you mean to say…" I began, unable to say the words in sheer horror of what she was saying.

"Every second of every day, my brain is slowly deteriorating, and I'm slowly dying. It's constantly at war with my Aura, which is desperately trying to repair my brain and keep me alive. Usually it's net loss for me, so by the end of the day I really start to notice it." She explained.

Then she stopped, pausing to think for a moment, before turning back to me.

"It's funny, really. I don't get tired anymore, I just get headaches." She mused with a sad smile.

"Then, what happened during Initiation?" I asked, wondering what she did there that was so different.

"I pushed myself too far. It's one of the inherent problems with the brain damage I get. The more I incur, the less I can think things through, and the more likely I am to use my semblance recklessly, which will incur more damage. It's a vicious cycle, really." She explained.

Then she paused, frowning ever so slightly about something.

"I might have been fine if I went in with a fresh brain, if I had gotten a good night's sleep. Instead, I went into it with a massive headache, something that was simply exacerbated by what I did in there." She added.

I scowled at the implication of that. It sounded like this brain damage was tragically unavoidable. It was only something that could be mitigated, not stopped. That said…

"What do you mean you can't turn your semblance off? What is it?" I asked, returning to the question I asked earlier.

"Again, I'm not sure what specifically it is, if it is any one thing. I've had to figure it all out myself, so my knowledge is a little spotty." She frowned

"But, I think the thing it does constantly is two things." She began raising a hand.

"First, I believe it give me perfect memory. I remember, every part of every moment of every day, with perfect retention. I think my semblance works to…copy or reinforce my memories as I get them." She says, ticking off her index finger.

"Second, I can sense some kind of…energy...in things." She continued, ticking off her middle finger to join her index.

"An energy?" I questioned with a raised brow.

I wasn't entirely sure that was her semblance. It sounded similar to what those well versed in Aura manipulation and sensing are capable of.

That said, that's something that a veteran hunter should be able to do, not a 15 year old girl.

"I'm really not sure how to describe it. I rely on it almost as much as my eyes, sometimes more so, but I'm not sure how to explain it to someone who doesn't have it. It's like trying to explain sight to a blind man." She said, her eyes filled with a measure of frustration.

I can certainly see why it would be hard to explain. It's often hard to develop and explain this skill to students. So, I tried to see if we were talking about the same thing.

"Is it like a…warm light emanating from someone? Something you can feel, something you can see all around you, regardless of where you're looking? Something that's different for each and every person you meet?" I asked.

She tilted her head in thought for a moment, pondering my words, before she looked at me again.

"Kind of, yes. It feels different depending on how they're feeling, too. It's like...sound, but not. Everything has a different sound, and you can learn a lot about something by listening to it." She said, trying to explain it.

Sound…

I can certainly see why she might make that comparison. It was a fair one. Sensing with one's Aura was very similar to hearing with your ears, but instead you heard with your very soul.

"I don't think that's your Semblance, Ruby, I think that's a technique called Aura sensing." I began.

She stayed silent, but by the way she tilted her head at me, gazing at me with her inquisitive silver eyes, I could tell she wanted me to continue.

"Aura sensing is an advanced technique for huntsman and huntresses, and is similar to listening with your very soul. The fact that you've accidently developed the skill is nothing short of extraordinary. Normally it takes years of intense training and knowledge of one's soul to develop." I explained.

"The fact that you've already unlocked that ability speaks volumes about your potential with Aura manipulation, and by extension, Dust manipulation." I added.

"Dust manipulation?" She asked.

"That's how I tend to fight, with Aura and Dust. When we get back to the school, we can try to train you in it, if you want." I suggested.

The way she looked with wide, brightly lit eyes filled with hope and wonder was all the answer I needed.

"Yes, please." She said cordially.

I smiled at her, glad that I found something else I could really help her with. I honestly hoped she did take to it, so few did, after all. Most tended to use large guns, blades, and force to pulverize the enemy. Sometimes it felt that using Aura and Dust in combat was a dying art. An art I happened to be an expert in.

But still, I had to know something.

"But, Ruby, why were you so worried about telling me this? I can understand your scars and Aura, but if I knew about your talents, about your semblance, whatever it may be, I could have helped you with it earlier." I asked.

With that, her tiny smile curled into a frown.

"It's…it's because of something else I can do with my semblance. I can…do things to people. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but it scared them." She said, "

"Why?" I asked.

"Because, it ignores Aura." She answered.

"What?" I questioned, confused

"The thing I can do, it ignores Aura. It doesn't matter how strong you are, how fast you are, or how much Aura you have. As long as I know you're there, I can do it to you." She clarified with a frown.

"Do…what?" I asked, not sure if I wanted to know.

She frowned slightly, her hollow eyes searching for the right words to describe it.

"I…I can make people…understand. No, I can make them…feel?" She said, unsure of her own words.

Then, with a shake of her head, she looked back toward me with determined eyes.

"Let me show you."

And with those four words, I began to hear the faint buzz of static in my ear. It started to grow, slowly but surely, until suddenly-

_Ding!_

On instinct, I reacted to the sound, turning in my chair to see source of the sound behind me.

And found myself standing in a kitchen.

The cabinets were made of a warm brown wood that helped to try and breathe life into the room, and the white tile floor felt cool on my bare feet. Golden light filtered in from the kitchen window, warming the room up with its presence.

I knew that Dad and my sister were out of the house, leaving me to myself, something they seemed to do more and more since they took me out of school.

So, I had decided to experiment, and from the sound of the timer going off, it was done, and time to see the results.

I took in a deep breath, inhaling the smell of warm, melted chocolate and baked dough.

I walked over to the oven, turning it off before opening the door.

In my rush to see how they turned out, I neglected to put on any oven mitts. Not that it would really matter to me.

I reached in, grabbing onto the metal cookie sheet, still hot from the oven, with my pale bare hands. As I pulled it out, I idly thought it should probably hurt a lot more than it did. In reality, it just felt very warm, not painfully hot.

After pulling it off the oven rack, I struggled to keep it up. So, instead I just put it down on the lowered oven door. Once there, I took the opportunity to look at my hand. Sure enough, I could see burns developing on my skin, but just as soon as they popped up, a small red field filled with black and white sparks, like static, enveloped them, healing them.

Turning back to the experiment, I observed how it had gone.

The cookies had turned out…lopsided. Frankly, they were a little ugly. Then again, considering what was going to happen to them, it didn't really matter how they looked. So, now there was only thing left to do.

Test them.

So, I bent down, reaching for one in the corner, and picked a cookie up. I felt how warm it was through my skin, and it only really felt a little cooler than the hot cookie sheet to me. Then I put the chocolate chip cookie up to my mouth and bit into it.

Instantly, my tongue exploded with the sensation of warm, delicious cookie dough and chocolate chips. As I moved my jaw up and down, I could feel the soft cookie come apart and turn into a delicious, chocolaty paste in my mouth. I closed my eyes, savoring the delectable flavor, and swallowed.

As the sweet sludge made its way down my throat, warming me to my core, one thought ran through my mind.

 _Perfect_.

And with that one thought, I could hear that quiet buzzing again.

And when I opened my eyes again, I was back in the hospital room with Ruby sitting on the hospital bed in front of me.

 _What was that?_ I thought questioningly, concerned by what I had experienced.

I knew it was fake, that it was just an…illusion…of some kind.

That didn't remove the fact I could still taste the warm remnants of a chocolate chip cookie on my tongue, that I could still feel the way it warmed me to my core.

"That was a memory from Tuesday the 12, in May, when I was 10." Ruby explained

"It was my first time baking…and one of the happier memories I have from after I came back." She said looking down, rubbing her arm again.

"Did you like it?" She asked in an unsteady voice, not meeting my eyes.

She was trying to hide it, but she was nervous. My opinion really mattered to her.

"It was…beautiful." I complimented, seeking to comfort her.

Her head turned to me, a light blush on her pale cheeks, and her hollow eyes lit up with suppressed joy.

"Really?" She dared to hope, the smallest of sincere smiles growing on her face.

"Yes." I said sincerely, unable to hide a small smile from her.

It was the first time I had seen her so happy. Sure, sometimes there was a measure of pleasure or joy in her eyes at times, but never did she feel with such intensity.

It was from that moment that I vowed to bring that side of her out more often.

* * *

**An hour later**

We had boarded a Bullhead on it's way back to Beacon. Ruby had fallen asleep again, saying that the display of her abilities in the hospital had drained her enough to warrant the rest.

I can only assume that the more passive abilities of her semblance, or whatever it is, deactivate or fall away as she goes to sleep, giving her brain the rest it needs to repair itself. She was leaning up against me in the plane, and I couldn't help but stroke her head of crimson-black hair as she lay against my side.

Her…semblance…was unusual, about as unusual as her Aura.

If it even was a semblance.

Her semblance should _not_ be doing what it was to her. Semblances where extensions of our Aura, of our souls. The main reason they were so large and varied.

As such, Semblances were supposed to only cost our Aura. Instead, hers cost her very life, her very ability to think. Something I had never heard of before.

In fact, it sounded like her Semblance and Aura were at war with one another, if anything. Something that simply didn't make any sense from what I had learned about either.

 _This warrants investigation_ I thought with narrowed eyes.

During any free time we could accrue, we would need to investigate her Semblance. As much as I was worried about how this would hurt her, I couldn't tell her to not use her abilities. Apparently they would take their toll whether she tried or not. So, all we could do was figure out how to use them best, and to try to mitigate the damage.

I sighed, realizing that I had incurred a significant amount of work upon myself. It would be a miracle if, between school work and helping Ruby, I had any free time to myself.

 _Still_ I thought, as I looked down at her quietly resting form.

 _I think it's worth it_.

Before she fell asleep, however, I informed her of the status of her team. She seemed to accept it well enough, not that I really expected her to do much of anything different.

Afterwards she told me that she was probably going to take me up on my offer to stay with me.

When I asked why, she said she'd rather not say, only that she felt more comfortable if she was around someone she could trust while she slept.

Even still, we would have to find a way to get her to bond with her team outside of classes, but I wasn't sure how. Especially in light of her effect on people, and her way with words.

But, that was an issue for later.

Then, I decided to inquire about Lucifer again, to see if I could get a more straight answer this time.

Instead, she gave me quite the cryptic response.

"Who is Lucifer?" She reiterated, looking at me questioningly.

Still, there was a measure of mischief in her eyes. She looked away from me, instead directing her gaze out the window of the Bullhead, to the night skies around us.

"Sometimes, he is a man…" She began

"…Other times, he is a snake…" She continued, a small smile beginning to blossom on her pale lips.

"…Sometimes, he is what you love most..." She said, turning back to me

"…And others, he is all you hate." She finished, looking at me with those hollow silver eyes, now filled with cunning wisdom.

And with that, she soon fell asleep next to me, disavowing me from inquiring about it any further.

It vexed me, honestly, how odd she could be at times. Sometimes, she seemed to act as the child she appeared to be. Others, she seemed like she held wisdom far beyond her years. One second, a scared little girl, the other, a hollow doll, pretending to be human like the rest of us.

But it didn't matter.

 _I don't care what you are, Ruby_. I thought, stroking those messy locks of hers.

_I swear to do all I can to protect you from any more pain._

* * *

**Taiyang pov**

"Why can't you find her?" I could hear her ask.

"I don't know, it's like she just disappeared." I answered, pacing around the room as I wracked my brain for any ideas.

"She needs to pay." She insisted.

"I know, I know. I just don't know where she could be."

"What about when you last saw her? When she got away?" She asked

"I can't _remember_. I _know_ she got away, I just can't really remember what happened after I got to the hospital." I explained.

Then I grit my teeth as a distinct possibility came to mind. "I bet that demon bitch used her powers on me. It's the only explanation." I seethed angrily.

"We need to find her." She said.

"I know." I said through grit teeth as I leaned over a desk, the wood creaking under my clenching hands.

"We need to fix this."

"I KNOW!" I roared at her, throwing a half filled bottle of cheap beer across the room.

She flinched as the bottle flew past her, shattering against the far wall.

"Calm down, Tai." She said, trying to comfort me.

"We'll find her, I know we will." She began, walking over to me.

"We'll find the demon that took our dear, sweet, Ruby from us..." She began, looking up at me with those loving silver eyes, "…and tried to take me from this world."

"And when we do…" She continued, drawing her favorite knife from her white cloak, "We'll make her pay with blood."

"We won't stop even if she begs us. She deserves nothing less than living hell…" She said in that oh so sweet, soft, caring voice I knew and loved. She gazed at her blade with a soft smile as she ran her fingers along the curved silver edge.

Then, she turned back to me with that loving smile that made my heart flutter, made my soul melt, and said, "Isn't that right, my love?"

I smiled back at her, at the light of my life, brought back into it. "Yes it is. We'll make her pay with every inch of skin on her."

"We'll make her pay, Summer. We'll make her pay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end of the introductory Arc for Act II
> 
> The next scene we get into actual school stuff.
> 
> So, I revealed a bunch of stuff about Ruby, and dumped a little peek at how her father's doing.
> 
> That's all I really want to say on that matter, I'd really prefer not to accidentally spoil you.
> 
> Now, earlier, I promised I would tell you all where I'm heading with this story, so I will.
> 
> First of, since the end is so far in the future, it's a little fuzzy what's specifically going to happen.
> 
> But, I have two things I know are Not going to happen.
> 
> First off, Ruby isn't going to magically reconcile with her family, resolve all the issues, and go back to beign the kind, sweet, Ruby we all know and love. She isn't going to stop the bad guy, Cinder or Salem, by convincing them to change their ways/ seducing them to enter her harem by virtue of her irresistible cuteness. Everybody isn't going to make it out of this story perfectly happy and dandy, with only a small slap here or there to ruff them up a bit We aren't ending with a cacophony of wedding bells as everyone professes there love to one another, and people get magically pregnant because magic.
> 
> I think of that as the rainbow barf ending, and it's not happening.
> 
> On the reverse side, the complete inverse isn't happening.
> 
> Ruby isn't going to conquer the world by Cinder and Salem's side as their daughter/lover. Cinder isn't going to loving stand over Ruby as she eats/rapes her friends and family in front of her. Ruby isn't going to murder literally everyone who even looks at her wrong, and she isn't going to be a deranged violent sadistic psychopath with a love of bathing in her opponent's blood as they scream her name in agony. She also isn't going to be Cinder's slave/pet thing who she unleashes on her worst enemies.
> 
> That one's the rainbow barf of darkness, and it isn't happening either.
> 
> Now, I'm not saying none of that is happening entirely. I might use elements of both of those paths, parts here or there toned down a few levels. I'm not saying she won't reconcile with Yang, and I'm not saying she won't aid Cinder.
> 
> As for what will happen, I have three different general end paths I want to be at as we get to the end, at least at this point. It could change in the future. Each has very large differences from the other, but only require a few key points going differently.
> 
> None of them are explicitly good or evil paths, they just trend toward different areas. In Mass Effect terms, one is a more Paragon path, one is a more Renegade path, and one is a more Neutral path.
> 
> That's all I'm really saying on that matter. Just trust I know where I'm going with this.
> 
> If you feel like I'm teasing the shit out of you with this Yang and Ruby meeting thing, then I kind of am.
> 
> The sisters are going to meet when they meet. Nothing you guys say can really change that.
> 
> Still, from the reviews, most of you seem to accept that to some degree.
> 
> That makes me feel good.
> 
> In any case, there are three more Arcs in this Act, and the finale should be...explosive.
> 
> That's about it.
> 
> See you later.


	21. Scene 21: First Day of Class

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team ANBL and WYVR experience their first day of class as we finally take a look at the Beacon experience. But all around them and behind the scenes, further changes are taking place.

**Blake pov**

_It's time_ I thought, my alarm waking me up.

As I rose from the bed, I went over the week's events in my head.

After we had returned from Initiation, after we had been officially designated as Team ANBL with me as the leader, thing had been…normal.

It was nice, honestly, after the chaos and drama of Initiation. We had been assured of Lilith's recovery, that she would be fine. Even still, we couldn't see her. Not that I really wanted to.

Jaune did, but Ms. Goodwitch scared him too much, so he never bothered asking. Pyrrha, while a little concerned for her partner's safety, didn't seem to feel the urge to see her either.

So, instead, we stayed in our new dorm. We were the last team officially formed, which would normally mean that we wouldn't have terribly much choice in classes or housing.

And, we didn't, but not entirely for the normal reasons.

First off, several classes had been cut due to teachers being injured or worse from Initiation. They'd probably be up again later though, once they got everything sorted out and got replacements.

Fortunately, most of them were the more advanced classes, meaning freshmen like us weren't terribly affected.

Second, it seems that Professor Ozpin saw fit to reward us by reserving a dorm for us. That said, I'm not sure how much of a reward it was.

Thanks to the massacre that was Initiation, Beacon was going to be having drastically lower freshmen enrolment this year. From what I had gathered, a large portion of that was actually because some initiates dropped out after hearing what happened to the first wave. Others, scared by what they had seen down there, left, unable to truly cope with what they had been through, or unwilling to go through it again.

So, as a result, things weren't as filled up as they normally were.

More to the point, the building our dorm was in was mostly empty.

Of the 12 dorm rooms in this area, only 4 of them had teams in them.

That's mainly because this dorm building was pretty far away from everything else. It would take at least 10 or more minutes longer than it should to get to anywhere that mattered. The only place that was really close by, was the forest.

 _Still_ I thought, _the privacy is pretty nice. I'm willing to sacrifice some time for the peace and quiet._

The room itself was actually like an apartment. There were two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a common area.

Jaune slept in the other bedroom, apart from Pyrrha and me, for obvious reasons, and Lilith stayed with her aunt, Ms. Goodwitch.

When we asked why, they gave us a litany of reasons, but the general answer seemed to be that she felt more comfortable with Ms. Goodwitch. They didn't say this out loud, but I got the feeling that the fact that I almost shot her when I first saw her had an impact on that. And from what Pyrrha tells me, I'm not the only one who almost ended her that day.

And somewhere deep down, that part of me that wanted to shoot Lilith the moment I met her, was glad that she wouldn't be staying with us. But I'd never say it.

I didn't know her well enough to know if she truly deserved my ire. Not yet, at least.

Still, that was then, this is now, and now, I needed to get ready for the first day of actual classes.

I slowly rose up from my bed, stretching my back out in ways most humans would probably find uncomfortable or impossible.

For me it just felt _so good_. Especially when I could feel and hear the joints pop in my spine.

_Crack, pop, pop, crack_

_God, that feels so good_ I thought, enjoying my moment of ecstasy.

I looked over to my right, seeing Pyrrha laying down on her bed on the far wall. The bedroom walls were a cool blue, but when we went into the main area it turned into an off-white.

We had been staying in this dorm for a couple days now, so we had at least learned a bit about our sleeping habits. As a result of Jaune's snoring, I would always go to bed _far_ before him. As much as I liked staying up, Jaune sounded like something was dying, which was not conducive for sleep.

Hell, it wasn't conducive for my sanity.

So, for my own good, I got over it and decided to just go to bed about an hour before him. Better to wake up abnormally early, than miss out on getting sleep.

And by early, I meant about 4:00 am.

It was still dark outside the window, something I was perfectly fine with. In fact, I didn't even bother turning on the lights.

Pyrrha would wake up at 5:00 am like clockwork, before she started her workout. I'd probably have to wake Jaune up at about 7:00 if his alarm didn't work. Our first class together was at 8:15, but we would need a little time to get situated and have breakfast. Pyrrha would probably be back from her morning routine by then.

So, I had about an hour to myself, then another two and a half hours after Pyrrha left to do whatever she did.

We'd all meet together in the cafeteria at about 7:30. Even Lilith would be meeting us there. From breakfast, we'd head out to our first class.

 _History with Doctor Oobleck, room 203, 8:15 am_ I read, looking at our class schedule.

We'd all be taking the same core classes together as a team. From there, we would have certain electives that we would take with our partners, but not necessarily as a team. They ranged which times and which days they took place on, but some would take place on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Others would be on Tuesday and Thursday.

It's not how it would be for everyone, but it's how it was for us.

But, because I was the leader, I had an extra special class I had to take on Friday.

 _Yea_ I thought drily at the prospect of more class.

So, without further ado, I began to make breakfast and prepare for the rest of the day with my morning rituals. As I opened to the door to the refrigerator in the kitchen, however, one thought ran through my mind.

 _I need to go shopping_.

* * *

**Weiss pov**

_I'm so glad we went shopping_ I thought as I enjoyed another decadent bite of my small little indulgence.

Schneeballen wasn't really a great breakfast food, but I didn't really care right now.

Earlier in the week, we had gone shopping. Mostly for food items, but a few house comforts as well. Fortunately, I had more than enough money to buy everything we needed.

I figured that with Ren's cooking prowess, we could cut out valuable time that would have been wasted waiting in line at the cafeteria. So, we stocked the kitchen with choice ingredients. Nothing too exorbitant, but nothing cheap or second rate either.

Then, when all was said and done, we spent a little on some indulgences.

 _And it was worth it_. I thought, taking another bite.

We had all woken up alright, and things had been going according to plan.

Then, Yang and Nora happened.

I'm still not entirely sure what exactly happened.

One second, we were all dressed and ready to go to class with 30 minutes to spare, then I went to the bathroom. When I came out, Yang and Nora's clothes were torn up and Yang had Nora in a headlock, yelling "Take it back! Take it back!".

Nora looked like she was about five seconds from passing out, yet defiantly refused to take "it"back, whatever "it" was.

As I looked at the mess of the common room before me, at the chaos that had been wrought in a mere 5 minutes of absence, I could feel my stress building.

Just as I was about to blow up at them, to whip them into shape with Myrtenaster, Ren appeared with a calm hand on my shoulder, and an apologetic smile on his face.

His presence allowed me to reign in my fury just a hare, just enough to retain control of my mouth. And with that control, I was able to keep from completely blowing up at them.

Instead I gave them both a furious, yet stern glare, and ordered them to go get dressed again.

Of course, I may have given them a small dressing down about acting their age as well.

Regardless, Ren whipped out a Schneeball from behind his back for me, likely as a way of apologizing for allowing it to happen under his watch.

All it took was one bite of the decadent treat for all my anger to bleed away into sweet bliss.

I soon made my way over to the couch before delicately resting on it, allowing myself to relax completely, if only for a moment.

After swallowing another bite of my little calming aide, I turned back toward Ren.

"What started this?" I asked, curious, but also wondering how I could prevent it from happening again.

Ren turned toward me, his hands clasped behind his back, and said, "Nora decided to…compare Yang's yellow hair to the yellow color of urine. Yang…disagreed with that statement."

I blinked owlishly for a second, bewildered by what I had heard.

"What?" I said simply

"Yang… _strongly_ …disagreed with that statement." He added.

I could feel that rage, that stress build once more.

 _They did_ _this!_ _Over something so…so…fucking idiotic!_ I fumed mentally, feeling the rage build again.

 _Why am I surrounded by such shit-brained incompetent fuck-tards?! Where in the hell did I fuck up in life, such that I deserve the hell of dealing with the fat cow of a moronic brute, and the insane child of the hyperactive juggernaut!_ I raged internally

"Weiss." Ren said gently, his calm voice shaking me from my thoughts of violence.

"Hmm?" I answered, my response coming out more harshly than I had intended.

"Your schneeball" He said, gesturing toward my hand.

I looked toward it, noticing that I had been unconsciously clenching my fists, slowly crushing my treat.

So, I took a breath, forced myself to relax a hair, and took another bite of the sweet ball of sugar coated dough.

As I rolled around the sweet treat in my mouth, absorbing and savoring the flavor, I could feel my tension fall away to the recesses of my mind once more.

"Thank you, Ren." I said, my eyes still closed in ecstasy

"You are quite welcome." He answered cordially.

 _I don't know if I'd manage to survive this if it wasn't for Ren_. I thought

_He's the only other sane one here_

* * *

**Ruby pov**

_Well, no more waiting. Here it is_. I thought as I made my way through the cafeteria.

It would be my first time seeing my team in about a week. That said, time moved a little differently in Purgatory, so it's hard to really tell if it was really a week for me.

It could have been a month.

It could have been a day.

It's really hard to know.

In any case, it had been a few days in this plane of existence since I had seen them, at the very least. Last time I had seen them, I hadn't exactly been in the best of moods. I also hadn't exactly been in my right mind.

While I can remember every moment of what happened with extreme clarity, the clarity I had at the moment wasn't the best. Not to mention the distinct fact that my ability to gauge human reactions and responses was somewhat…lacking. Especially when it came to emotions other than hate, fear, and love.

And even love was rather elusive for me.

In the end, the problem was I wasn't entirely sure what kind of impression I left on them. Pyrrha and Blake could still be struggling to resist the urge to end my life. Or, the urge could have been toned down somewhat in light of my actions.

It could have also done the inverse.

Hopefully Jaune still thinks of me as a friend, and as such I can use him as a sort of buffer.

Though, in the best case scenario, that won't be necessary.

I know I'll probably need to work with my team a lot, to build "bonds" with them, but me and people don't exactly have the best history.

Still, it's not all bad.

My little gamble with Ms. Goodwitch played out in my favor.

I'm honestly surprised about that though. Normally my unusual regenerative abilities, my strange semblance, and the aura of unease I constantly give off usually results in inciting fear. Fear, mostly because of how strange and unknown I am.

There have been a few notable exception, but they never really ended happily either.

Which means I still have to be wary regarding Ms. Goodwitch, just not necessarily for the same reasons.

Regardless, it seems all the planning I did with Lucifer in Purgatory worked. Not that he did much, I really just bounced ideas and ways to not freak Ms. Goodwitch out off him. And I was successful.

If anything, I think I've endeared myself further to her.

Strange, but I am thankful for it.

The idea to show her something…nice…as opposed to the usual really worked. Normally, if I use my semblance like that, it's to show pain. That's because those thoughts and memories come so easily to me. But for this, I had to dig down deep for a warm memory. One that would make sense, and try not to paint me in such an evil light.

After seeing its success, I only wish I could go back in time and change how I showed my family.

_Yang…really freaked out when I showed her. She was appalled by what I had done to those boys._

_Not sure why, though. They deserved it, after all. Besides, I just showed them the truth._ I thought with a slight frown

_Then there came the time for me to show it to the rest of them, to Qrow and dad._

That…that wasn't a particularly fond memory.

That was the moment, really. The moment they went from worrying and fearing _for_ me, and having fear _of_ me.

 _But Qrow…he was a little different_ I thought

Uncle Qrow did grow wary of me, but he didn't really fear me. Well, not nearly as much as the other two, at least. Still, he held more than enough fear for me to choke my options in life into oblivion. He tried to protect me, but all he did was cut me off from what I loved.

I let out a sad, mournful breath, letting the thoughts of a broken past leave my mind.

After all, something else good had happened.

 _Garmr's finally here_ I thought cheerfully, the smallest of smiles adorning my face.

Garmr had taken the long way here, so it had taken her a long time to finally arrive in Vale.

 _But now she's here_ I thought _I should really go see her when I have the chance, but I'm not too sure when that'll be._

Hopefully soon. It had been too long since I had seen her, and I honestly missed her energetic presence. She was one of the only beings in existence who could still cheer me up.

Speaking of beings who could cheer me up, Yang. One of the only people I still cared about. And one of the only things I was terrified of.

I had managed to work out a schedule with Ms. Goodwitch and my team that in no way coincided with Yang. I wouldn't ever have any classes with her, so on paper, I was safe.

However, things rarely work out as well on paper as they do in reality

Just because we didn't have any classes together didn't mean we wouldn't cross each other's path elsewhere in the school. It didn't mean that she wouldn't spot a glimpse of me somewhere around campus and come running after me.

So, in the event that did happen, I had a…backup plan. A workaround, if you will.

Ms. Goodwitch wasn't honestly too happy with the implications of it, but it was nonviolent and non-damaging, so she couldn't really complain. Plus, Yang was _my_ sister, not hers.

Not sure why she cared so much about her.

But, as I caught the familiar scarlet hair of my partner from across the cafeteria, I shook the thoughts from my head. I could worry about Yang later. Now, I had other problems.

Namely, the people known as my "team".

They were all wearing their school uniforms, Jaune wearing the shirt, jacket, pants and tie, while Blake and Pyrrha wore a skirt instead.

Pyrrha was wearing her bronze headdress again, using it to help keep her scarlet hair up in a ponytail.

Blake, however, had on a black flat cap from which her long onyx locks spilled out at the edges

 _Huh_ I thought, looking at it. _She wore a bow before_

Why she wore both was somewhat obvious, not wanting to draw attention to her race, but why she had changed to a hat now was somewhat unclear.

Still, it didn't look bad on her. It certainly made her seem more…authoritative, instead of simply being the quiet girl with a black bow who read books.

 _I like it_ I thought finally after looking her over.

I myself was tempted to wear my red hood, but decided to forgo it. It would be just that much more difficult to hide if I wore something that would stand out so brightly in a crowd, not to mention if Yang happened to spot it from across campus. There wouldn't be much I could do if that happened.

Still, I did have one of Professor Ozpin's fountain pens that he gave me. It was elegant, having a beautiful obsidian shaft with golden engravings and a silver tip. A tip made from hardened Aura conductive alloys sharpened to a razor's edge. Each one was worth about as much as a large assault rifle, but considering the craftsman ship, and what a skilled expert could do with one, it was worth it.

Not to mention, it was a very nice pen.

As I approached them, Jaune noticed me.

"Lilith!" He called out to me, standing up from the table and waving to me with a joyful grin.

At the same time, the other two at the table also sensed my presence.

I could tell because of how they subtly flinched once I got close enough. They tried to hide it, but their own Aura's prickled at the very presence of my own unnatural one. I could feel how they subtly tensed up, clamping down on their emotions and actions, trying hard not to show how much I affected them.

But I knew.

I always knew.

And I had gotten used to it.

So, ignoring them, I simply walked up to the table and sat down next to Jaune.

"Hey Lilith, how are you feeling? We haven't seen you in a while." Jaune asked.

Instead of responding, I just looked at him with a slightly cocked head.

His Aura was there, and it was strong, but it wasn't prickling as badly. It still reacted, how could it not, but not nearly to the extent as the others.

Now that I knew how I sensed things, Ms. Goodwitch had actually helped instruct me on _what_ I was actually sensing. And apparently one of those things was the Aura of other's.

But it still wasn't the only thing it could sense.

In any case, despite his Aura reacting to me, as mildly as it might be, Jaune didn't even seem to notice.

 _How though?_ I wondered

_How is he not even affected by me?_

_Perhaps he's just oblivious?_ I considered.

Then there was Pyrrha's Aura.

Now that I actually had a full, fresh, brain again, and I knew what I was doing more, I could more accurately read everyone. Except Pyrrha.

I could read Pyrrha well enough, she wasn't really trying to hide anything, but there some kind of...static...with her. I'm actually not sure if that's the right word for it, honestly.

Pyrrha's Aura was...weird...honestly. That's the best way I can put it. I don't really know enough about what I'm sensing to put it into words very well, maybe after I spend more time around her I'l figure it out, but as of right now, I'm a loss for how to truly describe it.

 _What is with you, Pyrrha?_ I pondered, _What is your secret?_

Then, once again, I noticed the slowly growing anxiety and unease coming from the three of them.

"Uh, Lilith?" He asked nervously.

 _Oh_ I realized _I did it again_.

So I blinked and turned away from him, ceasing my silent unblinking gaze.

"Sorry, I was just thinking." I muttered

 _I really need to stop doing that_ I thought

"So, how are you feeling?" Pyrrha with a concerned smile.

"Better. I pushed myself a bit too hard on Initiation." I said.

"I think it was more than that. You looked like you almost died." Blake put in with a pointed look.

At her questioning, I directed my dull gaze toward her, and felt a little flare of annoyance. I felt her tense up and her Aura ripple in agitation in response.

 _And as predicted, they are more noisy than they have any right to be_ I thought, mildly annoyed

Still, I suppose I would have been curious myself in her position. I just would have known to hold my tongue, and be less direct.

"I know, it's thanks to a…condition I have. I need to respect my limits more." I explained with an even tone, deciding to stick with half or incomplete truths.

"Hmm." Blake hummed in acknowledgment.

"In any case, I just needed some rest. I feel much better now." I said,

"How old are you, anyway, Lilith?" Blake asked, her eyes narrowed questioningly.

Once again, I was annoyed by her incessant questioning.

 _It's probably because she's a Faunus._ I realized.

Thanks to the heightened senses and instincts gifted to her by virtue of her heritage, she likely couldn't shake the feeling that I was some kind of unholy abomination that needed to be purged from this world. Or, in other words, I was an unknown that shouldn't exist, and she felt threatened by it.

Thanks to this Aura of unease, or _wrongness_ , things with heightened instincts often felt something along those lines. Animals especially.

Even after all these years, Zwei still didn't like me.

"…I'm not 17." I decided to answer carefully. Again, half-truths.

And by no definition of the truth was I actually 17.

"Wait, if you're not 17, how did you get into Beacon?" Pyrrha asked, curious as well

In fact, I could feel that this was the question on all of their minds, Pyrrha simply said it first.

So, I mentally sighed, before deciding to draw from my cover.

"I'm staying with Aunt Glynda-" I began

"Aunt Glynda?" Jaune questioned, interrupting me.

I leveled a questioning, yet annoyed, gaze at him for his intrusion.

"Yes?" I inquired with a raised brow. "Is there something wrong with calling her my Aunt?"

I didn't think there was. That was how I referred to Uncle Qrow, after all. A portion of me was honestly worried that I had made a mistake.

That said, most of me didn't particularly care either way, and simply thought Jaune was being rude.

Then I noticed the other two, and saw that, they too, were thrown off by the way I referred to her.

At their silence, I decided to reiterate the question.

"Well? Is there something wrong with referring to my Aunt as such?" I asked again.

At this, they seemed to realize their place, and had the curtesy to look sheepish and feel slightly ashamed. They all averted their gaze from me with a slight blush, instead finding interest in the remains of their breakfast on the table.

"N-no, it's just…" Pyrrha began before trailing off, not knowing how to say it.

"It's just a little weird hearing you call her that." Blake finished for her.

"Weird?" I questioned, not seeing why it would be.

 _She's my supposed to be my Aunt? Wouldn't it be stranger for me to call her something else?_ I wondered.

_Why do people have to be so odd?_

" _It is the nature of their mortality, of their limited view of existence."_ Lucifer answered for me.

 _I suppose so_ I acquiesced.

"It's just going to take a little time getting used to hearing you call Ms. Goodwitch that." Blake elaborated.

I gave them all one last questioning gaze as I hummed in acknowledgement, before returning to my explanation.

"In any case," I began.

"I'm staying with my Aunt Glynda because I recently lost the rest of my family. She's the only one I have left. That, combined with other various circumstance, is what convinced Professor Ozpin to allow me to enter Beacon without passing through an earlier combat school." I explained.

I attempted to convey a sense of loss, of morning, with it. I'm not sure I did a good job, honestly, since it's never truly come naturally to me in the first place.

Still, I made sure my voice grew quieter, that I averted my eyes from them, shadowing them with my hair. I even tried to place a slight quiver in my voice, as if I was trying my hardest to stay calm.

Fortunately, it worked.

With each word, I could feel the dread and sympathy in them grow, as the lively atmosphere slowly choked and died on the weight of my words.

I was never good with subtlety, being sympathetic, or really conveying emotion, not since that day all those years ago, but all my time with Ms. Goodwitch appeared to have helped that. When coupled with the sheer severity of what I was saying, I suppose they never really stood a chance.

So, as the horror inside them grew, as their Aura quivered and shrunk in shame for what they had done, I had to force myself to hold back a small smile at my success.

"I-I'm sorry Lilith. I didn't mean to bring up any unpleasant memories." Blake admitted, lowering her head in guilt, her hat shading her eyes from me.

Still, I could feel something in her Aura besides mere guilt, shock, and horror. There was a degree of empathy in there, as if she had gone through something similar.

 _Curious_ I thought, tempted to raise a brow at it.

The nightmares hadn't told me everything about everyone, just what went through their heads during them. I'm actually somewhat glad they didn't.

As Lucifer said, knowing everything about the game, while an aspect of certain victory, is oh so boring. If I know how everything works, if I know all the pieces, players, and rules, absolutely, then there is nothing to surprise me, no curiosities to be explored.

So, if I wanted to, I could forcefully find the answers for myself. But I didn't. I wanted to unravel the mystery the hard way, the interesting way. After all, what point is there in living life knowing all the answers? If you don't enjoy it?

"Y-yeah, sorry Lilith. We shouldn't have asked." Jaune agreed, shaking me from his thoughts.

"We had no right to invade your privacy." Pyrrha added.

And she was right, they didn't. Not really.

Still, I couldn't really find it in me to care enough to do something about it. After all, I knew this was going to happen. It's why I came up with such an elaborate tale woven of half-truths and darkness.

"It's alright." I said, still keeping up the shaky voice, keeping up that mask of Lilith Totenrot. "You didn't know."

And with that, I felt the atmosphere get ever so lighter. Still, that simply meant it went from being filled with crushing regret and horror, to layered with shame and sympathy.

Soon, they finished breakfast, and we made our way to our first class with Dr. Oobleck. We talked a bit, but it still felt like they simply just wanted to forget what they had done, and what I had said. That was fine, and I allowed them to turn their minds toward different topics.

After all, with the worries that came with meeting my team once more out of my mind, I could think about something much more exciting.

Earlier, Ms. Goodwitch had talked about teaching me how to use my Aura and Dust, similar to how she does. Something that set my mind alight with possibilities. Dust was something I had no previous experience with, and only a few passing mentions of. To be able to learn from someone as well versed in it as Ms. Goodwitch, to have her unlock the possibilities of an entirely new field of study?

Well, I could hardly keep myself from vibrating in excitement.

 _I just have to wait until this weekend_ I thought

_And then so many interesting possibilities will come to light._

* * *

**Pyrrha pov**

After leaving the cafeteria, we entered class and took a seat in the semicircular tables surrounding the pit the teacher would stand in.

 _This time I'm in the stands_ I thought, noting it's resemblance to stadium seating.

 _Normally I'm the one in the pit_.

Not that it was a bad change of pace mind you.

Soon, the green haired professor entered the room, moving at blurring speeds with a thermos of steaming hot coffee in his hands. He began to write some things on the board as the rest of the class trickled in and got situated.

Finally, once the clock struck 8:15, he turned back toward us.

On the board were the words,

**AN INTRODUCTION TO WATCHMEN**

"Good morning class." He greeted, talking just as quickly as he was able to move.

In response the class, myself included, gave a greeting in response.

"Since today is the first day, I'll mostly just be giving you a syllabus and sending you on your way." He said, taking a sip from his green thermos.

"However!" He interjected

"Due to the events of Initiation, as well as its aftermath, I felt the need to revise where we started the class. Normally, we'd be talking about some of the great wars in the past, including the Faunus War." He began

"Instead, we shall be discussing the Watchmen Program as our introduction." He announced.

"Now, I know many of you who come from families of huntsmen and huntresses may have heard disreputable things about the Watchmen Program, but this is purely because of the innate rivalry and animosity between the two groups. The Watchman Program was setup specifically to keep the Huntsmen in check."

"It all started with the StarFall incident, something you may have heard of here or there."

"The StarFall incident is what we call a series of events, in which a premiere Huntsman team, team STFL, went rouge. Why they did is unclear at this time, nor were they the first to do so, but they were by far the most effective. Instead of taking missions and fighting Grimm, they turned to crime, and as such turned on humanity."

At this, one of the students in the room raised their hand questioningly.

"Yes, Ms. Scarlitena?" Dr. Oobleck said,

"You said that this wasn't the first time it happened, but why was this time special? Couldn't they simply be apprehended by another hunter team?" She asked

"Excellent question my dear!" He exclaimed

"It's all due to the fact that team STFL was composed of exceptional individuals, who had incredible teamwork. In fact, it's said they were as close as family. Most hunter teams that went after them simply weren't as good. Even if they were, they never went in with the intent to kill, unlike team STFL. Something that always gave them the edge."

"In addition, team STFL was smart in how they operated. They constantly moved between all four kingdoms, and never made too big of a scene without several plans for how to get out of it. As a result, it was almost impossible for any whole team to track them down and strike them at once."

"So, without having to face full huntsmen teams, team STFL faced almost no serious opposition." He explained

"What about the police? Or the military?" Another student asked.

"Most in the police force and military only have a certain level of Aura training. Rarely do they have any skill with a semblance, and outside of Special Forces, it's almost unheard of for them to have huntsman level training."

"In fact, huntsmen, with their powerful Aura's, semblances, and deadly weapons and training, are generally considered one man armies. When a skilled team with good coordination is put together, they can become all but unstoppable to anything save an equally skilled team."

"It's believed that this is part of the reason STFL went rouge, because together they were almost unstoppable, and they knew it. They lacked serious bonds, such as family or loved ones, to tie them to the rest of humanity. All they had was each other, and as such they likely found humans to be easier prey than the ruthless Grimm." He explained

He paused his rapid fire dialogue to take a sip from his thermos, before beginning again.

"They robbed from stores, banks, and even a few military compounds, with little in the way of serious opposition. Hunter teams were rarely able to arrive on the scene in time to do anything, and even if they did, sometimes it was only to get cut down themselves."

"Over the course of two years, team STFL cut a bloody path through the four kingdoms, making a mockery of huntsmen, police, and military alike." He finished.

"How were they caught?" I decided to ask

"That is the problem, Ms. Nikos. They weren't." He answered somberly.

"What?" I questioned.

"After two years of this, the kingdoms managed to come together, and with several veteran hunter teams, began a massive manhunt to crack down on them. It's at this point that team STFL went dark, completely falling off the grid. It's believed that they went into the wilds to take their chances there." He answered

"However, to this day, no one knows what actually happened to them." He added

"So how do the Watchmen come into this?" Jaune asked from beside me

"Ah! That is an excellent question Mr. Arc!" Dr. Oobleck exclaimed

"Due to the nature of Hunter teams, they often function as mercenaries, having no loyalty to any one nation, and being paid for their assistance. Some hunter teams can be more altruistic in how they go about business, often saving others for free simply because they could. Others could be more mercantile, only assisting if the price was right. Unfortunately, often times they happen to be the more successful ones."

"As a result, the kingdom's spent exorbitant amounts of money paying huntsmen and huntresses to stop them, with nothing to show for it. Even worse, some teams took team STFL as inspiration, and went rouge themselves. Something that highlighted to the kingdoms and their citizens that, for all the good huntsmen and huntresses did, they still had the potential for great abuse."

"Only Atlas, who combines their hunter academy with their military was exempt from the problem of their hunters turning rouge. And it was Atlas who came up with a solution."

"After the StarFall incident, Atlas suggested the Watchmen Program to the other kingdoms. Something that quickly gained traction." He announced.

Then he paused his lecture, glancing at the clock in classroom that hung over the board.

"I think that's enough to give you a rough introduction to the Watchmen. Wednesday we shall go over in detail. However, before you leave…" He began, turning back to us

"…Ms. Totenrot, what have you gathered from the story of the StarFall incident?" He asked, looking to her.

At the mention of my partner's name, all eyes were on her. It's then that I noticed that, while she was playing with a rather expensive and elegant fountain pen, she hadn't actually taken any notes.

Still, she seemed to be paying rapt attention to Dr. Oobleck. She stared at him blankly for a moment, twisting the pen around her fingers as I could see the gears turning in her head through her hollow silver eyes. As she did, the whole room seemed to hold its breath in anticipation of her answer.

Finally, she deigned to give it to them.

"Power, whatever the intention for it, is power. It isn't good, nor is it evil, it simply is. It can be used for great triumphs, or it can be abused for wicked acts. In the faulty and fallible hands of mankind, nothing is absolute, nor is it sacred, and anything is possible." She began to explain

Each word was carefully chosen, and clearly expressed. There was no sense of nervousness in her. She didn't act is if she was a young girl in school who had just been called on by a teacher. Instead, she acted as if she was the educator now, lecturing us on the natures of reality.

"Everything has consequence, unforeseen or otherwise, regardless of the intent involved. After all," She said, finishing up

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

* * *

**Goodwitch pov**

**Last week**

_I hate this_ I thought as I sat at my desk in my dimly lit office. It was late, but the chaos that Initiation had spawn had forced us all to work overtime to get ready for the school year.

Right now, two people were sitting before me, two people that truly, had done nothing to earn my ire. And yet, I couldn't help but hate each of them to a degree, more so because of what they represented than who they were.

Still, I was a professional, and I wouldn't let the feelings I held inside color my attitude, nor would I let it show.

"Thank you for coming today." I greeted them.

"Thank you for seeing us." responded the women on the right of me politely.

"I'm afraid I didn't have much choice." The man on the left said in a thick accent, with a smile of dry humor

I raised a brow at his attempt at humor, but couldn't help but appreciate it in a way.

 _Well, at least neither of us are terribly happy about it_ I thought, looking at the man

Still, though, I pushed though it.

"I'm glad I was able to get on such short notice, Dr. Enyo." I said to the women

"Well, I must admit, the opportunity to teach at such a prestigious school such as Beacon was something I couldn't resist." She answered with a pleasant smile.

Then I turned to the man, the source of the majority of my hate and anger.

"And Lt. Niflheim…" I began, straining to keep the rage out of my voice

"I think we both know how I feel about you're presence." I said

"I assure you, Ms. Goodwitch, I have as little choice as you in the matter. I don't doubt that you aren't the only one who disapproves of my presence here." He responded.

Then he sighed, repositioning himself on the chair to get more comfortable.

"I was sent here by my superiors because of what happened during Initiation. The kingdom of Vale wants more…reliable…insurances that Beacon is a place that is safe for its citizens to attend." He explained

"And you're that insurance?" I said, narrowing my eyes at the man.

"Apparently." He answered with a shrug

"Honestly, I was probably the best choice. The others tend to be more…outspoken…regarding the huntsmen and huntresses trained at this academy." He added

I glared at him for a moment longer, but ultimately relented.

He was right. It wasn't his fault he was here, not really. I knew that the kingdom of Vale was going to do _something_ in response to what happened during Initiation, but I never imagined they would do this.

 _I never imagined they would be able to force us to allow a_ _Watchmen_ _to teach at Beacon._ I thought, still reeling from when Ozpin announced it to me this morning.

I looked back down at the dossiers of both of the people in front of me.

**Dr. Eris Enyo.**

**Multiple degrees in psychology and teaching. 34 years old, graduated from Haven as part of team ALCE (Alice). Retired from being a huntsman at age 24 after the rest of her team was killed or crippled in a failed mission. After receiving extensive psychiatric care, went back to school to get her doctorate and degrees.**

_She'd certainly be able to fill the role of school psychiatrist_ I thought

 _Her experience with trauma should help her relate and treat many of the students, and even teachers, who survived Initiation_ I continued, looking through her records

 _In addition, she should be able to teach the psychology classes just fine_.

Then I turned to the one I dreaded. The Watchman's

 **Lt. Ymir** **Niflheim**

**38 years old, graduated from Atlas and joined the military at age 20. Reached the rank of major in Atlas's armed forces at age 30. Was sent to Vale to help facilitate and train the Joint Watchmen program that Atlas had with Vale, Mistral, and Vacuo. Eventually became an official Vale kingdom Watchmen as part of the Watchmen squad designated to West Vale, team 4. Has been officially a part of team 4 for 6 years, with over 15 officially successful operations and has retained the rank of Lt. in Vale's police force**

I sighed as I read through Lt. Niflheim's file. Apart from the fact the fact he was a Watchmen, and a former Atlas huntsmen, I honestly couldn't find much fault with him.

He had previous experience with teaching, being the one to come to and help set up Vale's Watchmen program. His list of medals and glowing recommendations certainly paint a pretty picture for his character.

 _But…he hasn't taught children_ I thought

When the Watchmen program was formed in Vale, it started by taking in applications exclusively from already graduated hunters, veterans of the police forces and military, and Special Forces. People who already had foundational training.

Adults who had already been taught to kill. He simply honed it into an art.

Still, though, it's hard to argue with results.

In addition, he was part of the team that came to our aide on Initiation day.

More importantly, I didn't have a choice in this. He was being admitted whether I liked it or not. I just had to figure out where to put him.

At this, I grit my teeth.

Frankly, there was only one possible choice that made any logical sense, given his skillset and experience.

 _He might not be a huntsman…but he knows how to fight them_. I realized

"Alright, Lt. Niflheim. I believe I have the most…suitable place for someone of your talents." I said finally, looking up from the papers on my desk.

In way of response, he simply rose a questioning brow.

"You are to teach the classes on combat and teamwork. I wish you good luck."

* * *

**Jack pov**

I was walking through the halls of the police station, on my way to my post guarding Torchwick's cell, when I heard it.

"Officer Riesentoter." Said a stern voice from across the hall.

The second I heard it, I went stiff with panic and fear.

_Fuck me_

Slowly, I turned to give the person who called for me, my attention, and my best impression of a warm, charming, innocent smile, to try and call them down.

"Aveline!" I said cheerfully, trying, and failing, to not show the fear in me.

"Cut the shit Jack." She said as stopped before me, giving me a hard glare that made me want to hide under my bed.

Aveline was a women with an athletic build, about 6'2", a lightly tanned complexion, and a freckled face. She was wearing a white shirt with a black tie, and a brown vest over it. She had a pistol holstered on her left side, a police issued 9mm, and her golden badge hung from a thick chain around her neck.

She had sapphire blue eyes as deep and powerful as the ocean, and reddish brown hair blessed with streaks of blond, like a sunset mane, tied up into a loose and low pony tail.

But right now those sapphire blue eyes were staring at me with roiling fury.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said, trying to play innocent.

But Aveline didn't get to be a detective for nothing.

"Why the hell did you tell Roman about _my_ case?!" She seethed, bowling right through my meager defenses

"I didn't tell him anything." I said, stubbornly trying to defend my innocence.

"It's on camera Jack." She said pointedly with a cold glare.

"…oh." I said simply, realizing the jig was up.

"Well…you see…" I began, trying to think of a plausible excuse

"I didn't really see much harm in it." I finally confessed

" _Didn't see much harm?_ " She questioned angrily.

"Jack, it's a confidential case. It's _my_ case. You can't just hand out confidential information on a dangerous criminal to _another_ dangerous criminal." She explained, going from simply raging, to lecturing me as well.

"Well, I mean, he already knew about Le Livre Noir, he just curious." He defended.

At this, Aveline looked up to the ceiling, threw her hands up into the air, and cursed, "Putain de Merde!"

She looked back down to me, resuming her stern glare and said. "Jack, you putain stupide, _He was playing you_."

At this revelation, I paused.

"Wait, he what?" I asked

"He. Was. Playing. You." She enunciated.

Seeing my stunned face, she decided to elaborate.

"Roman Torchwick is an infamous thief and criminal architect. He knows how to play the game Jack, and he knows how to play it damn well." She explained

"But, he said he heard things about Le Livre Noir in the station, and he just wanted some clarification." I tried to counter.

"So you thought it was a good idea to inform him?" She shot back with an arched brow.

"It's not like I told him everything." I began to defend.

"I didn't say that Le Livre Noir is probably actually a group. A group with close ties to the White Fang, if they aren't a part of those terrorists." I added

Still, it didn't seem like Aveline was having it.

"I don't care, Jack. You still told him things he wasn't supposed to know. Namely, how _my_ investigation is going." She said.

"Come on, Aveline, Le Livre Noir's gone. They probably all died or something. The case is mostly cold." I said

"They're probably going to shut it down and move you on to something a bit more urgent later, anyway." I added

This was, of course, _not_ the right thing to say, as it only made Aveline angrier at me. She lowered her head, her fists trembling in rage as she grit her teeth together so loudly I could almost _hear_ it.

Then, her bright white Aura started to leak out ever so slowly from her body, wisps of it curling around her.

Despite being a detective in the major crimes division, Aveline was actually one of the few people in the force qualified to be a watchmen. Something further seen by the personal weapon she had on her, Manum Pallentis. Right now, it resembled a white gold pointed rod, about 4ft long, composed of what looked like many alabaster fingers of a doll pointed forward and clasped together.

Why she hadn't joined the Watchmen wasn't exactly well known, seeing as how she had little problem with them, but either way Robin had been trying to convince her for years.

Then, she took an aggressive step toward me, looking up at me with glowing light blue eyes fill with fury, and with all the force in her Aura, _poked_ me in the chest.

Said, poke contained enough force to _dent_ the Watchmen armor I wore. Armor strong enough to deflect a 7.62 mm Dust round with barely a scratch to show for it.

"Jack" She began fury positively dripping off her voice

"When he escapes under your watch, I hope you get shot first."

* * *

**? pov**

_Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God_ I thought frantically

"You look a bit lost, dearie." He said in a calm, yet menacing voice to me, a large silver gun in his hand gleaming in the moonlight

I had just been taking a shortcut home from work, the same one I used nearly every day. But today work had run a little latter than normal. So, by the time I started my way home it was dark outside.

I didn't think anything of it at the time, after all, I used it all the time, what could go wrong.

 _I never expected this to happen. Not to me_ I thought, fear coursing through my veins.

"I can help make sure you get home nice and safe." He began, the sheer level of menace he exuded invading my being, violating me with his very presence.

"A pretty little thing like you shouldn't be out here alone, after all, you might get… _hurt_." He added, his sinister grin shined in the moonlight, the only thing visible under his thick, dark, hood.

"But I can keep you safe… _for the right price._ " He said, the lust, the _hunger_ , evident in his voice.

With each word, he took another step closer, twirling the gun in his hands effortlessly. I wanted to get away, but I wasn't a huntress or anything, I didn't have Aura. If he shot me with that thing, I would die. If I tried to get away, he would kill me. We were in an open park, after all. There was nowhere for me to hide.

I was prey to him. Something he had been stalking, and was prepared to pounce on. My whole body was trembling in fear, knowing what would happen next. Hopefully, he would just take all my belongings from, he would just stop with taking all my money and robbing me blind.

But the undisguised _lust_ in his voice told me that was a lie I told myself to feel better.

But it was still just a lie.

Tears streamed down my face as I couldn't help but imagine what was going to happen next, what fate held in store for me now.

But I couldn't run. I was too scared. I couldn't do anything. I was trapped, helpless prey before this predator of the night. All I could do was let fate take its course, and hope that he made it fast and painless.

Another lie I told myself.

That's when I heard it. Something that turned my fear, into terror. My helplessness into despair. The sound that that crushed all semblance of hope in my heart, and sent it spiraling into the depths of madness and dread.

_GRRR_

A powerful, deep, low growl slowly rung out from somewhere in the shadows of the park all around us, it's presence everywhere, yet nowhere at the sametime.

I don't know how I knew what it was simply from the sound, but I did. Something deep inside my soul could _feel_ its unnatural presence, and churned violently inside me. Desperately telling me to run, to run far away and never look back.

But what was most telling was the way the man in front of me, the man I had previously called a predatory, _quivered_ at its sound.

I could see the way his once sinister grin turned downward into a concerned frown. He began to open his mouth to say something, possibly to try and keep up a tough act.

It didn't matter.

In a flash, a white blur tackled him to the ground with enough force to throw the gun from his hands. As they flew to the side, I froze, still staring the place where the man once stood, looking at it in horror, barely able to comprehend what was happening a terror flooded my system.

I wanted to run away, to scream and hide, but I _couldn't_. I couldn't move, I couldn't think, I couldn't do anything. My mind was an incomprehensible whirlwind of fear fueled thoughts and concepts.

I was shaken from them when my mind finally registered something that my body was telling, something that I could hear.

Screaming.

The sounds of tearing, of something sharp ripping into something oh so soft and _meaty_.

The sounds of the once fearsome _predator_ being torn about by the real thing, of his screams of mercy, of his screams for help.

Slowly, I turned my head, and saw the sight I feared to acknowledge.

Crouched over the man in the hood, was a big, white, Grimm.

I didn't know Grimm well, so I have no idea what kind it was, but _everyone_ at least knew what they were. That Grimm were soulless monsters that hungered for nothing but human flesh.

Something no normal human could hope face unarmed.

It crouched over him, tearing into him with its massive clawed hands, each swipe sending a spray of blood flying in a direction, and eliciting another cry of pain.

Then, I felt something wet on my face. Tentatively, dreading each movement, each _twitch_ , I moved a hand up to feel it, to see what it was. As I slowly pulled it back, I found it was exactly what I feared it was.

Blood.

Warm, wet, thick, blood coated my face, covered my once beautiful pale dress, staining it forever.

As I stared at my hand, I began to tremble, my entire body shaking in horror.

 _This is really happening. This is really happening to me._ I thought in numb horror, fear flooding me to the point I couldn't even feel anything else.

Then it stopped using its claws.

It bent down, and shoved its muzzle into his body, biting into him, and tearing off chunks of his flesh. All the while, the man continued to scream in agony, desperately screaming for help or mercy to anyone who would listen.

But no one could come to his aid. He had picked this spot for good reason, because no one would be around to interrupt him. It also meant that no one would be around to hear his screams. No one, except me.

I was shaken from my thoughts as I saw something fly toward me out of the corner of my eyes.

Turning to it, I Immediately regretted my decision to do so.

There, lying at my feet, was a hand.

A bloody, gory, severed hand.

It had been brutally cut off above the elbow, but below the wrist. Blood poured from the grisly wound, the muscle and sinew visible through the flayed skin. The bloodstained fingers still twitched, some last echo of life still in them.

I stumbled back a few steps in horror at it, because it made it so much more real, because i had never seen, never even _considered_ that I would see something like this. That's where I made my mistake

 _Snap!_ Went a branch under my foot.

I froze, not just because of the sound, but because of the silence.

The screaming had stopped.

And I knew why

In my heart I knew why

That moment was probably the worst one for me. Because at that moment, I knew the man was dead. I knew I was alone now, all alone with this giant white Grimm.

And I knew I had run out of time

With its prey finally silenced forever, it stopped devouring the man with reckless indulgence. It sat up, slowly turning around to show me its wolf-like face.

It was covered from head to toe in bone-white fur.

It's enormous scythe-like claw were dripping wet with dark crimson blood, standing out against it's almost radiant fur. They twitched in anticipation of it's next conquest, of it's next meal. They twitched in anticipation of _me._

It's entire front had been splattered in blood and gore. Large chunks of...something clung to its wet fur, stuck there by the thick globs of blood covering them.

From it's maw dangled a mass of the once living man's intestines, hanging there. A few even trailed back to the dead man, while other simply hung in the air. They were dripping think droplets of the ruby red blood that coated them.

The man himself, for I could see him now, had been torn open, and torn apart. His chest was wide open, exposing what organs were left to the crisp night air. Air that was thick with the heavy, coppery smell of his blood. It was so thick I could _taste_ it in the air. It made me want to vomit, looking at his torn, shredded, unrecognizable body, and being able to _taste him_ in the air.

But the most captivating thing wasn't the body. The most unsettling thing wasn't the blood.

It was it's eyes.

While it may have been covered from head to toe in bone-white fur, its eyes were anything but. I'd call them black, but black didn't feel like the right word. It felt too…weak…too shallow to describe its eyes.

They were empty and soulless…but not. They were hollow and empty, but filled with…something, some kind of hunger. They were infinitely nothing, but still filled with vibrant energy

I don't think anything in the world could truly compare to those eyes. Those eyes that were so incredibly impossible and terrifying. And yet, they couldn't stop the thought from crossing my mind.

_They're beautiful_

Still, as it looked to me with those eyes, with that hunger, it growled, a deep, hungry, rumbling growl like thunder. It vibrated through me, shaking me to my bones, shaking my very _heart_.

I knew what would happen next. It was a predator, after all, and I was its prey. So, I did the one thing left to me.

I ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have two new teachers.
> 
> And one's Ymir.
> 
> The Watchman.
> 
> That should go to interesting places.
> 
> In any case, the plot thickens and new threads are developing.
> 
> Also, yes, I know the dorms I as I have described them do not match the one seen in the show. 
> 
> I don't care. The ones seen in the show are, in my opinion, retarded, and so I'm going to go with my own personal college experience which also had four man dorms, but in apartment style as opposed to just being a room.


	22. Scene 22: A New Tutor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the next day of school, and this time we take a look at some of the new teachers coming in this year, and Yang has another horrifying nightmare.

**Yang pov**

_Here I am again_ I thought as I looked around me.

I was standing in the middle of the Crimson Lake, standing upon as if it was solid ground, not some churning scarlet sea. I could see the shoreline, and the beginning of the forest behind it in the distance.

It wasn't too far away, but it was far enough to feel just out of reach.

I continued to look around, searching for… _something._ What it was, I don't know, but it was why I was out here, looking for it.

Then I spotted a flash of white in all this red.

_There_ I thought, moving toward it.

As I did, the Crimson Lake grew still and unmoving, allowing me to walk unhindered. It was as if it was holding its breath in anticipation of something.

Finally, I reached it.

I reached _her_.

She lay there, 6 again, her alabaster white skin exposed to the world as she lay there, silent and unmoving. She looked dead like that, her eyes closed and a tranquil expression on her face.

"Ruby." I said, crouching down to shake her shoulder.

All it took was the barest of touches, my fingers just needed to brush up against her cool pale skin, for it to do it's work.

Her eyes shot wide up, staring up at me with those bright silver stars of hers.

"Yang." She said joyfully

"You're here." She said with a wide smile.

I couldn't help but reciprocate the smile, a warm feeling filling me at seeing her again.

"Yeah, I found you Rubes" I said down to her, offering her a hand up.

"But…" She began to say, taking my hand and allowing me to hoist her up.

As she got up on her own two feet, she looked up into my eyes, gazing at me with those deep silver eyes, and said with the slightest sad frown, "You left me."

At that, it felt like she had dumped a bucket of ice water on me. My heart dropped, my eyes widened, and my jaw went slack.

She was right

I had.

I had left her.

I had abandoned her.

_How can she ever forgive me for what I did?_ I thought, looking down at the Crimson tide beneath me.

"It's okay Yang." She said, shaking me from my thoughts.

I looked up at her, startled and puzzled by her statement.

She looked at me with a wide, bright smile.

"I have a way you can make it up to me." She continued, stepping up to me.

With each step she took, I could feel the lake beneath me begin to writhe and churn, waking from it's slumber.

"And when it's over…" She began, whispering to me.

Then I felt something grab onto my leg. Looking down, I saw it.

A pale arm, reaching up from the scarlet abyss, it's hand grasped onto my ankle. Then another joined it, grabbing onto my other leg.

"Ah!" I cried out in surprise.

I looked up at Ruby to see her response to this, to seek her aid, only to be startled by the pleasant smile she continued to wear.

"…you won't ever leave me again." She finished.

Then, they _pulled_ , trying to drag me down to the depths.

By now the seas were churning violently. I no longer had such solid ground to stand on.

Slowly, they pulled me under, my feet crawling beneath the surface of the red waves. No amount of struggling I tried did anything.

"No no no!" I cried, panicking. But no amount of kicking and screaming would do me any good.

As the waters rose up to my thighs, I desperately tried to push against the surface with my hands.

No sooner did I do that then did another set of pale arms reach up to grab my arms. More joined them, each pale hand extending to grasp onto me from below, dragging me under with even more strength then before.

Then, another set of pale hands grasped the side of my face, cupping my cheeks. They brought my attention up from the hands swarming me, dragging me down, and brought me face to face with my dear sister.

"Don't worry Yang. It's going to be okay." She said with a pleased smile that stood juxtaposed with what was happening to me.

"Ruby!" I said in a panic, silently trying to tell her to help me, to do something

"It's okay Yang…" She began, her smile widening

And ever so slowly, that smile curled into a wide, toothy, grin of joy. One that unveiled the razor sharp fangs that filled her mouth.

"Soon you'll understand."

And with that, she sunk into the water, pulling my head with her, along with all my hope.

All I could do was take one last desperate breath, before I fell beneath the crimson waves.

* * *

**Jaune pov**

_Intro to Psychology_ I thought as I sat in the classroom with my class.

It was the second day of classes. Yesterday had gone by pretty quickly after Dr. Oobleck's class, all the other teachers really just gave us the syllabus for the class and a quick introduction before sending us on our way.

But now it was Tuesday, and time for another round of introductions.

_And thank god for that_ I thought to myself.

It was a nice change of pace from the chaos that was Initiation.

Don't get me wrong, I like schoolwork about as much as the next guy, but I'd take school over being placed in a near death scenario any day.

I was shaken from my thoughts when the teacher finally arrived. As they entered the room, the dull roar that had been present from the various conversations that had started in their absence, was cut silent. And it was easy to see why.

She was beautiful.

Whoever she was, she was absolutely beautiful.

Not in a sultry, seductive, lustful, way. No, it was more of a…golden…beauty, an honest, more…artistic beauty.

Her long, golden, hair seemed to shine brightly under the lights of the room. She wore a soft, kind smile, and her eyes seemed to be closed shut.

She wore a soft white dress, which stopped just above her brown sandals. To accompany it, she wore a brown light jacket over her arms and shoulders, but was left unbuttoned.

"I'm sorry for being late, I got lost trying to find the classroom." She said with a self-deprecating chuckled. "I have a terrible sense of direction."

Her voice was like an entrancing choir of angels, light and graceful.

I watched as she made her way up to the board.

"Now, this is Intro to Psychology, correct?" She asked, turning around for a moment to address us.

A part of me wanted to respond, but I just couldn't get my mouth to work. Try as I might, the process between thinking of something to say, and saying, just simply was working right now.

Judging by the silence around me, I wasn't the only one. It seemed like everyone else was mesmerized, just as I was.

But someone wasn't.

"Correct. You are in the right place." A voice said to my right.

I turned, noting that only Lilith seemed to be free of the entrancing effects of the woman before us.

Then again, considering Lilith was…Lilith, I honestly shouldn't be too surprised.

"Good, good." She said, relieved, as she reached her desk.

She put down her bags with a dull _Thud_ , before turning to glance at the board behind her.

"Hmm." She hummed for a moment.

Then she took a glance at her golden watch with black highlights and symbols.

"Well, you'll be glad to know I don't plan on class taking too long today." She began, looking back up at us.

"Now, we should get on with introductions." She announced with a vibrant smile and a loud clap

"My name is Dr. Eris Enyo, though you can just refer to me as Dr. Enyo." She stated cheerfully

Then, she turned and made her way back over to her bags.

As she riffled through them, she continued, saying, "The school recently hired me as a result of what happened during your initiation."

"Aha!" She exclaimed quietly, having found whatever she was looking for.

Without another word, she pulled out a golden ball from her bag. It was a bit larger than her hand, probably a foot in diameter.

_What is that?_ I thought questioningly.

It looked like a perfect sphere, no indents or deviations of any kind. Just a golden ball.

She rolled it onto the ground toward all of us. Just before it reached the first row of desks on the bottom level, it came to an abrupt stop.

Then, four small lines, dividing the sphere up into four parts, appeared. The four parts of the sphere shifted, then disconnected, before extending outwards. The pressed down into the floor, raising the central "body" up off the ground. It continued to shift and change for a couple moments, the pieces clicking, sliding, and shifting into place audibly.

Finally, when all was said and done, there was something I can only best describe as a little golden spider bot on the ground.

The exterior shell of it was golden, but underneath the more mechanical parts were a glistening obsidian. It had four legs, each one making up about a quarter of the robot's ball form. The central body was longer than it was tall or wide, somewhat resembling a long golden diamond, with a black underside.

At the tip of the underside was something I can only assume to be the robot's "eye", which took the form of a single blue lighted camera.

It stared up at us blankly, while we in turn started at in in wonder.

_I've never seen such a cool little robot before_. I thought

We all knew Atlas had their robot legions or whatever they felt like calling them, but outside of Atlas, robotic technology wasn't too terribly prevalent. Especially to the civilian market.

Sure, there were simple things that could clean stuff or record things, but this little guy looked a bit more complicated than that.

"Adjutor." Dr. Enyo called out to her robot.

In response, Adjutor turned to her, looking at her with it's glowing blue eye.

"Could you please give the students their syllabi?" She asked

Adjutor simply nodded in affirmation, before turning back to us. Then, without waiting for anything else, it leaped up onto the desks.

As the robot made its way to the student closest to it, Dr. Enyo called out again, saying, "If you could, please let Adjutor see your scrolls. He's going to download the syllabus to them so you don't have to deal with any annoying paperwork."

_Really?_ I blinked _That's cool_

The other professors had just given us papers instead.

As I took out my scroll, Dr. Enyo began to speak again.

"Now, another thing I have to announce is that I am also counselor and psychiatrist for the school now. I know what happened during Initiation was…intense for a lot of you, and as such they are requiring mandatory psych evaluations for all freshmen who went through initiation."

"However, if you just want to talk about it, my door is always open." She added with a pleasant, inviting smile.

_That…actually doesn't sound like I bad idea_ I thought. Initiation had indeed been stressful for me, and if I had someone like her, someone I could trust to talk to, then that would be a huge weight off my shoulders.

A thought that never even crossed my mind, was why I thought I could trust her at all.

I was shaken from my thoughts when she exclaimed, "Oh!"

"I almost forgot!"

And with that, she went digging back into her bags.

As she did, her robot, Adjutor, finally made its way to me.

Now that I could see it up close, I could see a lot more of the intricate parts that made it up. It was made up of hundreds of pieces of machinery whose purpose I couldn't even begin to guess at. With every step it took, dozens of pieces moved in concert.

Its smooth golden legs hit the desk with a soft, yet audible _Clack_.

When it got to my scroll, it bent down slightly, it's blue gaze directed down to the device. Then, another set of pieces moved again, and a set of smaller, more delicate arms extended from it's "body", before reaching out to touch my scroll.

After connecting with it for a few seconds, there was an audible _beeb_ from the scroll. Adjutor seemed to nod in acknowledgement, before turning and moving onto Pyrrha's scroll.

"Alright." Dr. Enyo began, once more drawing my undivided attention

"Now, I thought that I would do something a little different, and start things off by having the class read a book." She said, holding up a book with a dark green, nearly black, cover on it. "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a fascinating book that caught my eye recently."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Blake jolt slightly, her eyes widening a fraction, and the corners of her mouth curving upwards ever so slightly.

"As you can see in your syllabus, it's on the list of things you'll need for class, along with a few other choice selections. We're all going to read the book as a class, and go over in detail many of the psychological and sociological concepts, ideas, and issues the book brings up." She explained.

"One of the biggest ones in the book is the concept of duality, of the two sides that reside within mankind."

At this, I saw Lilith raise a brow at her as she twirled her pen in her fingers.

"What do you mean?" One student asked

"I mean that all humans, Faunus included, have two sides to them. There's the side we show everyone, the nice one that society likes to accept." She began.

"And then, there's the other one. The one we have deep down inside. Some of us embrace it, others try to hide it, to deny its very existence. But it's there, it's always there, and it's an inextricable part of yourself."

"It's an interesting aspect of mankind. It's something we all have. For some of us, it's just a side of us that's a little stranger than society accepts, something that's just a little weird. But for others…"

"…it's a monster lurking deep inside them, just waiting to get out."

* * *

**Ruby pov**

_Well, this should be…interesting_ I thought, standing in training room 5.

Right now training room 5 was set up for year 1 combat class, being taught by one Lt. Niflheim, a decorated watchmen in Vale's forces.

Lt. Niflheim was a mountain of a man, around 7ft tall, with huge, broad shoulders, thick columns of muscle for arms and legs. He was wearing baggy black cargo pants, and simple grey undershirt. He had pale, icy blue eyes, and long black hair tied up in thick dreadlocks, as well as a reasonably sized beard. His skin was a pale, ashen grey.

He stood there, in the center of the ring, and we stood in front of him in a spread out crowd, clustered together with our teams.

"Now, a couple things before we get started. First, normally, you would be having Ms. Goodwitch for this class, but do to various circumstances, she has given that ask to me, while she teaches classes on dust and aura control." He explained

His voice was deep and rumbling, like an avalanche crashing down the side of mountain, and it was thick with an odd, yet familiar accent. The best way I can describe it, is as being a mixture of German and Swedish, though favoring the Swedish side.

There was a tension in the air, undoubtable due to his status as a watchmen, a group at odds with hunters ever since their inception.

"Second, yes, I am a watchmen. If you have problem with that…get over it." He said casually, with a dull glare, as if the issue was something that he wished he could care less about.

"Thirdly, most of your teachers have simply been giving you little more than a free day. They just give you a syllabus, ad few words of wisdom, before they send you on your way."

"Not me. I was sent here to teach you all, and that's what I'm going to do." He sternly, his expression hardening just enough to instill the seriousness of his words.

"Now, I saw the earlier syllabus that Ms. Goodwitch provided. It was…good…I suppose, but it felt too…soft…for my tastes. You all are becoming huntsmen and huntresses, a dangerous occupation with dangerous implications. You don't need to be coddled like children, you need to be hardened and tempered, like steel."

"And _this_ is the crucible in which you shall be forged into warriors." He said, gesturing to the ring we stood on.

"So, in light of that, the first lesson will be something you all desperately need to know." He announced, looking all of in the eye as he spoke, his icy blue gaze meeting ours.

"Your aura." He began.

"Many of you already think you know quite a large deal about it, some of you might even be right. You probably know it's an extension of your soul. That it can protect, enhance, and heal you. You also probably know that it's from where your semblance stems, and what fuels it."

"But what you don't know, is that it doesn't protect you as well as you think it does. The fact is…" He began

"You _can_ be **killed** through your aura." He announced.

And with those heavy words, it felt like the atmosphere in the room dropped, plummeted. All the hush whispers that had started earlier were cut into a dead silence. I could feel them as their auras churned uncomfortably at his words, how they wiggled and writhed in worry and uncertainty.

But me?

I was very intrigued.

_Can they now?_ I thought.

I knew I could, my aura barely did much of anything to protect me from harm. It's specialty lay in keeping me from actually dying, and staying hurt. There wasn't a lot it couldn't pull me back from, but that took time. In the middle of a fight, I was still incredibly vulnerable compared to others with more…preventative…auras.

_But this sounds interesting_ I thought.

I there is a way to kill someone through their aura through more…conventional…means, it could help level the playing field for me, or allow me to ease up on the use of my powers to solve everything for me.

"You're aura doesn't make you invincible, you **can** get hurt through it, and rather severely too. Aura tends to work more like both a cushion, and armor, most of the time. It usually soften the force of impacts, and deflects objects that would otherwise cut or penetrate your skin. Despite that, you still feel a degree of pain from them, which you can use to your advantage."

"In addition, despite acting as a cushion, it still doesn't do too well against blunt force trauma, and it doesn't stop things from being able to be moved."

"What this means, in practical terms, is that if you're hit hard enough with say, a hammer, it can still break your bones through your aura. But, that's if the hit is applied correctly, or with enough force. Your Aura will still reinforce the strength of your bones to the point that that won't normally happen, unless you fight someone who knows what they're doing."

Then he paused, taking another look about the crowd, before beginning again.

"What is the most vulnerable spot on the human body, the sweet spot when fighting someone with aura….?" He trailed off, as he thought of who to ask.

"…Ms. Nikos." He finished, looking straight at my partner.

In response we all turned to her, waiting for her response. Pyrrha seemed mildly surprised, but quickly regained her composure and confidence.

"You're supposed to be the champion of Mistral or something, are you not? The, "invincible girl". You should have some insight into your opponent's weak points given your successes." He added, explaining his choice.

Pyrrha nodded in acknowledgement, before beginning her answer. "The neck."

"Unlike other parts of the body, such as the head and chest, the neck lacks significant and defensive bone structure that your aura can reinforce, leaving it "soft". As a result, it's easy to inflict painful, and crippling attacks on it. While the head and heart are vital, the neck is more vulnerable, and equally important." She explained calmly and articulately.

_Really?_ I thought. It made sense, it's just the neck isn't usually considered the go to spot for attacks. A vulnerable point, yes, but not the spot to aim for, not in combat maneuvers.

_Interesting_

Lt. Niflheim nodded in acceptance with a small pleased smile. "Good. I'm glad to see that the praise isn't entirely unfounded."

Then, he sobered up, before looking back towards the rest of us. "Ms. Nikos is correct. The neck is incredibly vulnerable. You're aura will still deflect penetrating attacks, but it won't be as effective at cushioning, nor will it be able to reinforce as effectively."

"The result?"

"If you're strong enough, and you know what you're doing, you can snap someone's neck through their Aura. You can also choke them by applying proper force to it. Due to how vital the mobility of the neck is, it's difficult, even with armor, to truly protect the neck."

"Instead, the best thing you can do is keep your guard up, know your weak spots, and defend them accordingly. If a hammer's coming to your chest, it'll hurt, but you'll recover. If it hits you in the neck, it might kill you." He added grimly.

"However, this class isn't about learning how to kill people, not yet. So, instead of giving you detailed descriptions of how to take advantage of all these weaknesses to kill your foes, we'll be focusing on non-lethal measures."

"Due to your aura, this is both easier, and harder. First of all, it's harder to make someone hurt until they give up. It's also harder to incapacitate someone by breaking their bones, and dealing debilitating injuries. Despite that, it's also harder to accidentally kill them by hitting them in _just_ the right way to make them bleed out or something. A stray bullet to the head won't end their life."

"That said, that isn't a warrant for you all to go off half-cocked with no semblance of trigger discipline, or gun safety." He warned with a stern glare.

"Now then, what _will_ work, despite the nature of your aura, is moving things out of place. Putting someone in locks and holds will retain its effectiveness, and you can still dislocate joints, all it requires is knowing what you're doing, technique, leverage, and some force."

"It doesn't matter how much aura you have, you still have to bow to the limits of your body, mind, and the laws of physics" He finished

He took another moment to look over us all, to see if we had soaked it all in.

"Now then, let's see what I have to work with here, and if any of this actually soaked in. "he began

"I want you all to split up into pairs, and go into some unarmed, hand to hand, spars. No semblances. You can make up your own rules regarding how to go about it, but if I see anyone going too far, I _will_ step in." He explained.

After a pause, he added, "Understood?"

"Yes…" responded the class in a choir of apathy, tinged with a few beads of excitement.

"Yes…?" He added, trialing off.

"Yes, Lt. Niflheim…" The reluctantly reiterated

"Good, begin." He said.

Despite the fact I knew I couldn't possibly win against Pyrrha, I knew she was nice enough to not go too far. Hopefully, at least. The unease I let out may be enough to edge her into making a normally fatal mistake.

Getting my neck snapped, while painful, strange, and uncomfortable, wasn't as…permanent…as it was for most people.

Still, I'd like to avoid it if I could.

But, as I turned to her, I saw that, unfortunately, it seemed that someone had already taken her. They likely found the idea of taking on the "invincible girl" a chance for glory too tantalizing to miss.

_Fools_ I thought with a sigh.

So, my other choices were Blake, and Jau-

_Never mind_ I thought with a slight frown, growing irritated.

Jaune was being pulled away by a rather tall teen with brown hair, and a sadistic smile on his face.

_Well, looks like Jaune's going to have some fun_. I thought sardonically

Before Blake was taken by somebody else too, I made my move.

"Blake." I said, walking up

"hmm?" Blake responded with a confused hum, turning to me.

"Fight me." I said bluntly.

She appeared a bit stunned by that, recoiling slightly as she quirked a surprised brow.

"What? Why?"

"Because, I don't trust anyone else not to go too far. Besides, it's not like you can trust anyone else to not try to knock off that hat of yours." I said, gesturing to the black flat cap still upon her head.

She frowned slightly, seeming to mull over her options for a second, before answering with a somewhat resigned, yet accepting, "Fine"

"Good." I said with a nod.

As we got in position, about 10 ft from each other, and away from anyone else, I couldn't help but think about all the reasons this wasn't going to be fun.

While I did have rather…extensive hand to hand combat experience, it didn't really translate to terribly well to this situation. I suppose I could make do, but the fact was I was never really one for hand to hand combat in the first place.

And I hadn't used it in quite a while, having no need for it, so I was rather rusty.

I also felt like Blake had a bit more experience with things of this nature than I, not an unreasonable assumption given her background.

_Still, though_ I thought

_I can still at least put up a fight._

* * *

_Well, that was…insightful_. I thought

Honestly, it hadn't gone as badly as I thought it would. Blake beat me, that was for sure. She was several levels above me in hand to hand combat, and had more practical use with it. I had old lessons and memories from another lifetime, so, really, it's not hard to see why I lost.

Still, I hadn't lost as badly as I thought I would. I thought Blake would simply wipe the floor with me. Instead, there was actually something of a fight there. Still, my body wasn't the strongest, nor the fastest right now, and Blake simply outclassed me in nearly every area.

_The most frustrating thing, honestly, wasn't that I couldn't keep track of what she did._ I thought.

I could see and follow everything she was doing. I could even come up possible ways to defend, dodge, and counterattack. The problem was, my body couldn't keep up with my mind.

_Ah, the limits of the flesh._ I thought with a sigh.

Speaking of limits of the flesh, food.

We were in the cafeteria to get lunch. Combat was my last class of the day, and after some of the hits I took, especially to my head, I felt in the need for some food, some peace and quiet, and some sleep.

I was shaken from my thoughts by Jaune's voice.

"Uh…Lilith?" He asked.

I turned to him with a quirked brow, wondering what could he possibly want.

"Is…all that for…you?" He asked, pointing at my plate.

Well…

Plates.

I had three plates of food. One with a large cut of steak, a hot dog, and a sizable bowl of clam chowder. Another with a dry salad, a banana, and an apple. And the third one was covered in cookies.

I looked up at him, still wearing that quirked brow.

"Is there a problem?" I asked.

"That's…quite a lot for someone of your size." Pyrrha added, aiding Jaune

I looked at it again, considering her words.

I suppose she had a point. Still, constantly having to regenerate my brain at all times wasn't exactly without cost, nor was the rate at which I could heal from other injuries.

That said, I could actually survive without food for quite a while.

I would just have to undergo excruciating pain of agonizing hunger, as my stomach tried to eat itself, only to regenerate just as quickly. That, and the feeling of my body trying to shut down due to lack of energy and nutrients, only to be forced to continue existing by my ever persistent Aura.

It wasn't a pleasant experience, and I don't look forward to ever experiencing it again.

But, instead of telling them that, I simply said, "I guess." With a shrug.

Blake gave a curious glance toward me, before giving an apathetic shrug of her own, showing her stance on the issue.

Pyrrha and Jaune, while still unsatisfied, both relented.

After a few moments of eating, taking vague, almost bored note of Jaune and Pyrrha's conversation, I felt something brushing against the edge of my senses, a wave of negativity. It was then followed by a much closer, much more intense one.

I turned to Blake, feeling her aura absolutely roil in contained fury at…something. She was glare fiercely at the source of her ire, barely holding herself back from growling at it.

Curious, I turned to the source of her intense rage.

And I couldn't help but think, _interesting_ , as I saw it.

Four students, including the one who had spared with Jaune, had surrounded a girl with long, chestnut brown hair. She was fairly pretty to look at, I suppose, more on the cute end of the spectrum, but otherwise seemed relatively unremarkable given her rather pedestrian hair, eyes, and looks, especially compared to someone like Pyrrha, with her Scarlet hair and Emerald eyes.

Well, that was before I noticed the rather long, brown, rabbit ears on her head.

"Owe, stop it. That hurts." She complained with a pained look, as the large brown haired one tugged on her rabbit ears.

At the sound of her voice, and the situation she was in, I couldn't help but quirk a brow.

_Was that…Australian?_ I wondered. It sounded like an Australian accent.

… _odd._

"See, I told you they were real." The boy said to who I can only assume to be his team.

I searched through my memories for a bit to try and recall him.

_Ah, Cardin Winchester. Mildly interesting with a fair combat rating, solid armor, and a large, destructive, mace. Overall, not the best, not the worst._

_Also known as boring._ I added.

Middle of the pack, with nothing to really make him stand out, I threw him into a pile of "maybes" early on. While it wouldn't really hurt to have him on my team, if I played my cards right, he would be somewhat of a pain to deal with, and it honestly wouldn't be worth it.

But, it seemed he had found his calling as a leader.

_Interesting._ I thought as they bullied the rabbit girl.

It was still a little surreal seeing these Faunus. I had no previous experience with them, and Blake almost always wore something that covered hers, so to see two rabbit ears sticking out of the girls head, obviously attached if Cardin's actions where anything to go by, was a bit…strange.

_I wonder how Faunus came about_. I thought, now thinking about the subject.

As far as I could tell, they were, in the all the most important ways, human. They just also had a few little…additions. I didn't have a complete record of all Faunus and what they could all do, something I needed to ask Blake about when the time was right, so I could only make guesses about them.

But I'm willing to bet that, at the very least, they had enhanced sense as compared to the average human. Likely a watered down version of whatever animal of Faunus they are.

Actually, that thought brought me to something else.

_I wonder if Blake has a tail?_

That wasn't something that was covered in the dream I gave her. While no proof of it has been given to me, no proof that it _doesn't_ exist has been given either.

"They're disgusting." Blake seethed through grit teeth, bringing me out of my thoughts.

_Oh, right._ I blinked

_This is probably infuriating for Blake._

"People like them make me sick." She said.

I could tell, it was taking all she had not to go over to them right now, and take care of this herself, to teach them a lesson.

_I wonder if she'd kill them?_ I thought with idle curiosity.

I doubted she would, but that made me wonder what it _would_ take for her to take their lives.

Still, I suppose I could understand why seeing this sight made her so furious. I could see where she was coming from.

That probably came from still caring about others.

As it was, I didn't.

They had nothing to do with me. On top of that, I actually found it mildly amusing. Certainly more interesting than anything else going on in the cafeteria. On some level, I even hoped he tore one her ears off, or she snapped and attacked him.

_Then I'd have dinner_ _ **and**_ _a show_ I thought, resisting the urge to smile at my own joke.

I was violently torn from my thoughts again when two things happened in conjunction.

First, I heard something decisively odd. A giggle.

A giggle matched by the feeling of a…ripple…in Pyrrha's Aura.

I spun around to face her, curious as to what I'd find.

She had her head tilted down, her arms propped up on the table, her head in her hands, and her bangs shadowing her eyes.

A small grin curled its way onto her face, and as she let out another giggle, I could feel…something…happen to her Aura. It…twisted…is how I'd describe. Tilted I could say. In way, it stayed the same, it just…shifted. And suddenly, it was so much harder to read her.

"He's doing it _wrong~_." She said, her tone light and playful.

And with those four words, Blake's Aura quietly flared, the barest wisps of her dark purple aura leaking out from her as she momentarily lost control.

" _What_ " She ground out.

At her call, Pyrrha pulled her arms down, looking toward Blake out of the corner of her eye with a wide smile.

"Look at them." She said, gesturing to them.

Then, she leaned into Blake ever so slightly. Twisting her head to the side in an almost teasing fashion as her grin only seemed to grow wider.

"They barely know how to play the game. They could be doing a _much_ better job." She said.

I could practically _hear_ Blake's teeth grinding against each other right now. Her hat and bangs shadowed her, no doubt furious, eyes, as more and more wisps of purple escaped her control. Her hands were clenched so tightly, they flared purple under the pressure, protecting her from injuring herself.

"I didn't realize you felt that way about Faunus, Pyrrha." She grit out.

"Oh, this isn't about being a Faunus." Pyrrha responded with another teasing grin.

At that, Blake turned around, glaring at Pyrrha fiercely, and ground out, "Then what _is_ it about?"

Pyrrha looked about to respond, opening her mouth with that light smile on her face. But then she stopped, paused.

She recoiled, her face twisting in a rictus of pain, as she took her head into her hands. As she did, I could feel her Aura _shift_ again. It felt like it was slowly shuttering back into its original position.

With her eyes closed firmly shut in pain, she let out a groan of pain as she cradled her head.

"Excuse me." She managed to say quietly in pain as she abruptly got up from the table, and left, not even bothering to take her tray in her rush.

Blake just looked at her retreating form, stunned by what she had just done. Then, that rage, that fury came back, replacing the shock that momentarily filled her. She grit her teeth, looking down at the ground, her hat once again shadowing her face.

"Uh…Blake?" Jaune began in a concerned and confused tone, his face twisted in worry.

"Are you…are you okay?"

Blake waited a moment, attempting to take a breath to calm herself down, not that it did any good.

"Jaune I just…I'm sorry, I need to go." She said, before getting up and walking out as well.

"Blake…" He trailed off, watching his partner walk away, fury rolling off her form so obviously, even Jaune could feel it.

I could tell that he considered going after her, but then he looked at me, and decided against it. Likely not wanting to leave me alone out of some sense of…friendship or something.

I honestly didn't care if he left. Jaune was nice, but I liked being alone.

_Still, I suppose it's the thought that counts._ I thought, resigned to let him stay here.

That's about the time I saw something enter the cafeteria that filled my heart with apprehension.

A girl with a head of bright, golden blond hair, and violet eyes.

_Yang._

* * *

**Yang pov**

I walked into the cafeteria with my team, taking a lunch break after Professor Port's class with Grimm Studies.

Next we would have History with Dr. Oobleck. Hopefully he was more…energizing…than Professor Port.

I was still exhausted, and having a class with someone so…boring…hadn't done me any favors. It felt like I hadn't gotten any sleep last night after that dream of mine.

That nightmare.

Especially after it's dark turn.

Just thinking about it made me replay it in my mind, every terrifying second.

* * *

**Last night**

I opened my eyes again, and I was surrounded by red.

I almost took in a breath, when I realized where I was.

I was deep beneath the Crimson Lake.

Panicking, I held in my breath, moving around to try and see what was around me. But it was too thick and murky. I could barely even see my arms and legs. Arms and legs, I noted, were bare.

I was naked far beneath the waves, and I couldn't tell up from down.

I flailed, desperately trying to find a way out, as my lungs hungered for breath.

Then the pale, almost ghostly form of my sister swim out of the murky depths. She swam through the crimson waters like she belonged, like she had been here all her life.

When she spotted me, a joyful smile blossomed on her lips once more, gracing her face with its vibrant beauty.

_Ruby. She can get me out of this._ I thought as she swam toward me.

Upon reaching me, she embraced me in a warm, tight, hug, pressing her small body against mine.

A comforting warmth spread through me as she did. I wasn't alone anymore, I had Ruby again. She could get me out of this.

Right?

I could hear her whisper in my ear, "I found you."

_Yes…yes you did._ I thought, a comforted smile finding its way onto my face.

As she nestled her head in the crook of my neck, I almost let out a content sigh.

_Now, all we need to do is find a way ho-_ I began to think

But I was torn from my thoughts as massive gout of pain erupted from my neck. The pain was so fierce, so surprising, so intense, that I couldn't help but let out a scream of agony.

Too late, I realized my mistake, as I let the red liquid surrounding us flood my mouth. My body involuntarily tried to cough it out, but it only made it worse as more and more of the liquid took its place.

In my panic, I desperately looked to try and see the source of my pain, my agony.

And found ruby

With her head against my neck

And blood pouring from where it lay.

The blood leaked out and mixed with the red waters surrounding us, tinging it with its metallic scent.

Ruby brought her head up, looking up at me with those bright, joyful eyes.

And a bloody mouthful of flesh in her razor sharp teeth.

In my surprise, another wrack of coughs hit me, and I struggled to right myself, to get my bearings again. But too much was happening at once.

I tried to get the water out of me, but body kept trying to take a breath, only letting more in. Soon, I could feel my lungs _burn_ for breath, hunger for it desperately.

Ruby wasn't idle either. I could feel her move again, squirming against me. Then, another flash of agonizing pain as she once more bit into my neck. I could feel her teeth digging through my skin, her tongue licking across my exposed muscle and tendons.

I tried to raise an arm up to push her away, to get her off me, but I couldn't. It felt like _something_ was holding me back.

I turned to my right arm, and to my ever increasing horror, found another ruby.

She had her arms wrapped around my arm, bringing it to her chest, and resting her head near my bare shoulder.

Then, she gave me a flash of that wide, toothy, joyful grin, and in it, I saw something I hadn't seen before.

Hunger.

Without another moment to waste, she bit into my bicep, digging deep into the muscles I had developed from fighting for so long. She tore into them with abandon, gorging herself on my flesh, as if it was some delicious, perfectly prepared steak.

Feeling something on my left arm, I turned to it, only to see another one wrapped around it. This one was eyeing my fingers hungrily. Then, she pulled two of my fingers, and stuck them into my mouth.

For a moment, there was the warm, soft, wet feeling of my fingers in her mouth, the feeling of her rolling them around with her tongue, tasting, and savoring them.

Then, I felt the white hot daggers of pain as she dug her knife-like teeth into them.

Once again, I tried to scream in agony as she bit off my index and middle finger, but it only served to send more of the thick red liquid into me, filling my lungs and sending burning agony throughout my body as in screamed out for air.

I was helpless as my body was wracked with pain from all sides, from within, and without.

As I felt two more presences on my legs, I trembled in fearful anticipation of the sharp stab of agony I knew was sure to follow.

I quivered in apprehension as I felt another rake its hands across my belly, caressing it, before jolting in agony as they dug into my flesh, tearing chunks of meat and skin off, and into another no doubt hungry, smiling, mouth.

As I floated there, helpless as I was drowned and devoured, I could feel the first ruby move against my skin once more.

Then, I felt her breath tickle my ear as she whispered, "Yang…"

"You taste delicious."

As another spike of agony erupted throughout my body, my head shot up, looking upwards, desperate for any sign of relief, safety, or salvation.

Instead, I saw her.

Ruby, the same way I last saw her. Swathed in her mother's scarlet cloak, and wearing dark clothes underneath. Empty, and hollow

It looked like she was standing on the surface of the water, looking down at me with those cold silver eyes.

I looked up at her, silently begging for her to save me, for her to end this.

Instead, she looked down on me, and ever so slightly, a small, pleased smile of the darkest variety carved its way onto her porcelain white face.

That's when I heard her cold voice echo in my mind

" _This is only the first step in your penance, Yang."_

_"This is only the beginning."_

* * *

I was shaken from my thoughts when I collided with something.

I was still alert enough to keep from falling, but the other person was a little less fortunate. He had been carrying a tray of used dishes and trash to the depositing area to dispose of them. Now they all lay on the ground around him.

"Awe man." He whined, now having to try and pick them all up.

Feeling a flare of guilt and shame at my actions, I decided to lend a hand.

"Here, let me help." I said, crouching down to pick up a few pieces myself, "It's the least I can do."

In response, he looked up at me with those bright, sapphire blue eyes, his golden mop of hair swaying with the motion, as he said, "Thanks."

Then, he glanced down toward the ground for a moment, an unsure and pensive look crossing his face. Then, he looked back up at me, still unsure, but a little more confident in his decision.

"My name's Jaune." He greeted with an unsteady smile.

I greeted his smile with a more confident one of my own, trying to belay the underlying fear, guilt, and shame inside me.

"I'm Yang." I answered, hoping a new conversation could pull my thoughts from the nightmare, from my sister.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Jaune."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhangers!
> 
> It wasn't originally going to be such a cliffhanger, but I decided this was a surprisingly good stopping point.
> 
> Anyway, Yang's nightmares are getting worse.
> 
> Pyrrha's getting more crazy
> 
> Velvet didn't get saved
> 
> Ruby thought it was amusing
> 
> And Blake might want to strangle Pyrrha in her sleep.
> 
> Also, We finally got to look at the new teachers.
> 
> And they taught us all a lesson


	23. Scene 23: Teaches a Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby recounts her week as Glynda provides her first lesson in Dust and Aura, with unexpected results.

**Yang Pov**

"It's a pleasure to meet you Jaune," I said with a bright, blinding smile.

A smile that seemed to make the blond boy in front of me feel more comfortable if his smile was anything to go by.

In but a few moments we had picked up all of his trash and thrown it out, and he was on his way back. We talked for a bit, and with each second, I could feel Jaune getting just a little more comfortable with me. He never truly and fully became comfortable, partly because he seemed to be doing everything physically possible to avoid looking at my ample bust.

And failing.

Still, though, the blush that grew on his face every time his eyes wandered downward, however slight it was, was…nice. Being able to elicit that blush with just the slightest movement, the repositioning of my arms, a nice teasing smile, felt great. It was all a kind of game to me, being able to tease this poor boy, and oh was he so easy to tease.

 _Jaune's somebody to keep an eye on. He definitely seems like a fun distraction._ I thought with a smirk

As I thought about it, I could hear the ambient sound of the cafeteria grow into a loud dull roar. It was positively buzzing with deafening sound, making it hard to hear much beyond Jaune

Then, I was pulled from my thoughts as I saw Jaune's body get rocked by some unseen collision from behind. He spun around, and a look of surprised recognition came upon him.

"Lilith?!" He exclaimed in surprise.

 _Lilith…_ That name, for some reason, rung a bell in me.

I had heard it before, but I couldn't for the life of me remember where.

Jaune soon stepped out of the way to reveal the person in question, and I couldn't help the recognition that came over me when I saw her.

She was small, coming up to Jaune's stomach, but not much higher, and she had pale skin. She was wearing the school uniform, with no real additions or modifications to it, unlike some students who took to decorating it with a few personal effects. She had an elaborate, intricately crafted pen in her hands, twirling it absentmindedly.

She also had pale blond hair, not white like that of Weiss, or the golden blond of mine, but somewhere in between, leaning more on the white side. And her eyes were dark, so dark they bordered on black, but on closer inspection were really an incredibly deep and dark green. She used said eyes to glare up at Jaune, a look of mild irritation on her face as it twisted ever so slightly into a hard frown.

"Jaune, what are you doing?" She glowered at him

There was something about her, something…familiar, but again, I couldn't put my name on what it was.

Despite her small stature, Jaune seemed to shrink under her harsh glare, sheepishly trying to look away from her dark piercing gaze.

"Er, hey Lilith" He began, scratching the back of his head nervously, "I was just, uh, talking to Yang over here."

At the mention of my name, he seemed to gain a little more spine, as he put on his best attempt at a winning smile and turned to me.

"Lilith, this is Yang. She's a freshman like us." He said gesturing to me as he began introductions.

I looked to Lilith with a cheerful smile, one that belied the more uncertain and perplexed part beneath my mask. I wasn't entirely sure what to make of the interaction between the two. On the one hand, Lilith didn't seem too terribly threatening, after all, she barely came up to his chest. On the other, I knew full well how possible it was for powerful and dangerous things to lie inside such a small package.

"Hey, it's nice to meet you," I said, putting up a strong, shining front for her as I extended my hand out to her.

Lilith looked at my hand for a second, before directing her attention towards my eye. That frown remained present on her face as she leveled a mild, judging, glare at me. Looking into her deep, dark, consuming green eyes was like looking into the depths of a dark, mysterious, and foreboding forest. They dared me to try and explore further, to explore there depths, but mysterious power slithering in the shadows warned my soul to stay away.

"And this, Yang, is Lilith, my teammate," Jaune said, shaking me from the enchantment her deep green eyes cast on me as he introduced her.

With that, Lilith slowly turned her head from me and resumed leveling her glare at Jaune for a second, before she decided harsher measures were required.

"OWE!" Jaune cried out in pain as Lilith stomped on his foot.

He jumped up and down in front of her on one leg, clutching his wounded foot like his life depended on it, making a fool of himself. Lilith, in turn, crossed her arms over her slim, bordering on non-existent, chest, as she continued to look at him disapprovingly.

I couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the antics between the two, the way Lilith, despite being so much smaller than him, had so much domineering power over him.

Still, though, something about her…it felt familiar. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I recognized it from somewhere.

"Jaune, you said you were just going to go throw out our stuff, then we could leave. Five minutes later I find you flirting with this girl." She stated, unamused.

"I-I just got a little distracted." Jaune attempted to defend as he continued to nurse his injured foot.

"We're going to be late!" Lilith exclaimed, exasperated.

"We are? To what?" Jaune responded, momentarily stopping his hoping to give Lilith a confused look.

Lilith, in response, just gave a strangled mix of an annoyed sigh and a groan as she closed her eyes, lowered her head, and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I don't have time for this." She muttered under her breath.

Without another word, she grabbed onto Jaune's free arm and yanked him with her to the exit of the cafeteria.

As he cried out useless protests, I couldn't help but laugh at it all. Those two were odd, but fun. I honestly hadn't felt this…light…in a while. It felt good.

_Those two certainly are interesting_

* * *

**Goodwitch pov**

"So you met your sister?" I asked with trepidation.

We had already talked about what would happen if she did. Multiple times in fact. Before, she would simply say, "I have a plan for that", "I know what I'm doing", or even, "Just trust me.".

But, more recently, she actually deigned to share what it was with me. I was skeptical, of course, and even a little unsure of the moral implications of her using her semblance on her own sister.

But, in the end, I relented. Mostly because there wasn't really much of a choice, other than Ruby running away.

"Correct." She answered simply.

"So did you…?" I trailed off, not truly wanting to think too hard about it.

"I made me look more like your niece to her, and little like myself. If anyone mentions it, she'll be able to see the connection." She explained

"Have you done this for anyone else?" I asked, almost scared of the answer.

She paused for a moment, considering her answer, something that only grew the tension within me.

"…Not…exactly." She began

"What I've started doing is slowly planting the subconscious image of 'Lilith' in people's minds, such that if someone described her, they would connect it with Lilith. At the same time, when they see me, they still recognize me as Lilith as well." She answered.

Honestly, it wasn't as bad as I had feared. In fact, it was deviously clever. I also had difficulty wrapping my head around half of how she made that work, as well as the specifics of what exactly she was doing, but I trusted she could do it.

I sighed, resigning myself to my new fate in this position I had found myself in. It wasn't perfect, and the moral implications didn't leave me feeling entirely comfortable, but I could see why it would be necessary.

Still, I didn't really feel like staying on this subject for much longer, so I decided to try and switch them.

"Did anything else interesting happen this week?' I asked

For the most part, Ruby hadn't actually told me much about her goings-on in class. In fact, I hadn't actually seen much of her at all. I myself was rather busy with my duties, as well as still dealing with the fallout of Initiation. In addition, Ruby seemed to bury herself in her work and catching up in her studies with surprising dedication from one so young.

But, that was something I had come to expect from her. She had an insatiable hunger for knowledge, in all forms, though she seemed to have an…affinity for math and science. Those subjects just always seemed to come so much easier to her.

As a result, however, of the business, we hadn't talked much over the week. In fact, Ruby was often asleep by the time I finally stopped working. So now, it was finally the weekend, and I had taken some time off to teach her about dust and aura use, as well as spending some time with her eerily calming presence.

We were actually on our way to the room I had set up for us right now.

"hmmm…." Ruby hummed thoughtfully in response to my question.

I could practically see the gears turning in her head as she sorted out what was "interesting" and what was "normal", though, to be honest, there was probably a third category she labelled, "Distasteful", things she found interesting, but had the good sense to know most wouldn't share that view.

"Well…" She began

"There was the one day in Grimm studies." She continued, "When Prof. Port had Jaune fight a Boarbatusk."

Then, a pause as she smiled ever so slightly. I nearly shuddered at its sight. It was a smile I had come to recognize as one that belonged to things that amused her. This could be everything from a good, entertaining book, to watching a cat stalk and kill its prey.

"That was certainly amusing." She finished.

 _She certainly has an…odd…sense of humor._ I thought.

_But, I won't hold that against her. It's who she is, and I have to accept that._

_Still…it might be good to continue the lessons on acting…"normal"._ I added silently.

"Was it now?' I asked, inviting her to continue.

And with a simply, "indeed", she did.

* * *

**Ruby pov**

"Mr. Arc!" Professor Port shouted, shaking Jaune from his little nap.

"Wha!" He jolted, coming back into awareness

"Why don't you come down here and show us what a true huntsman is capable of?" He boisterously bellowed.

It was at this moment the Jaune began sweating bullets. And it's no wonder why.

 _Jaune never want to combat school. In fact, I'm pretty sure he doesn't really know how to use a sword and shield._ I thought.

 _You know, other than "swish swish stab" and "Protect face."_ I commented silently

"Uh…" He stuttered, "Maybe someone else should go instead?"

"Nonsense my boy! You're part of the prestigious Arc line! Come on down here and show us all what an Arc can do!" the Professor responded

I could pretty much hear the sound of Jaune dying inside.

Sensing Jaune's reluctance, Pyrrha decided to try and give a helping hand.

"Don't worry Jaune, it'll be fine!" She said with a bright smile and a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"t-thanks Pyrrha." He said with a cracked smile, one Pyrrha didn't seem to notice.

 _Still, though, despite his lack of training, it shouldn't be too bad. I doubt Professor Port is irresponsible enough to have Jaune fight something truly dangerous. Probably just some kind of test or something_ I thought.

Several minutes later, after Jaune reluctantly got up to get his equipment, Jaune was standing in the center of the room, on the little stage Professor Port had, clad in his black hoodie, jeans, and white armor. He brandished his sword and shield nervously, but with false confidence. Nothing too big or arrogant, but he was doing what he could to keep up a brave face.

"Now then, my boy." The professor began, walking over to a large, rattling, box, "Show us what you can do."

And with that, he released the latch, and charging out came a Boarbatusk. A very old, very big, and very angry, Boarbatusk.

I resisted the urge to facepalm.

 _Nevermind. It seems Professor Port is an idiot after all_. I thought.

Boarbatusks were one of the more tricky Grimm to handle. They were well armored, aggressive, only had one weak spot, and they were surprisingly intelligent. They could also be surprisingly fast, given how armored they were. All in all, a deadly combination.

Still, they weren't too powerful when it came to dealing damage.

But this was a very old Boarbatusk. Which meant it was tougher, stronger, and smarter than a normal one. It knew its weak spot, and would protect it. It might even have some armor growing down there just in case. It was also just a little taller than Jaune himself was, huge for this type of Grimm.

This was a bad matchup for a lot of people, namely those that used piercing attacks. Its old armor was too thick for anything but the strongest in penetrative attacks. Instead, blunt force trauma, or some attack that would bypass its defenses would be best. Conversely, one could try to hit it in the gaps in its plates., the chinks in its armor.

But I'm not sure Jaune knew that. Even if he did, I'm not sure he really had a way to do that. He had his shield, but it would really be enough to kill the Grimm, just stun it.

 _But that might be all he needs_ I thought critically, narrowing my eyes in consideration.

 _This should be interesting_ I thought. _Or, at the very least, entertaining._

 _But, should things get out of hand, I might have to step in_ I thought, considering the further incompetence of the Professor. _He might be too slow to save Jaune, or too weak._

_I might want a good show, but I will not allow Jaune to be killed by someone else's foolishness._

The two combatants circled each other. Jaune, nervously. The Boarbatusk, hungrily.

The stalemate was broken when the Boarbatusk suddenly charged at Jaune. He was barely able to get his shield up in time to block its attack. Even still, the force of the attack forced him to stumble backward a couple steps.

But instead of letting Jaune recoup, the Boarbatusk saw his weakness and went in for the kill.

It backed up a few steps, before charging once more with renewed vigor and fury.

Once again, Jaune barely managed to block it, but this time, it didn't matter.

Despite a shield in the way, the Grimm kept going, charging forward like a runaway train. Jaune's weak attempt at a defensive stance was no match for its ruthless attack, and Jaune was soon knocked off balance, and onto his back.

Not wasting any time, the Boarbatusk hooked its tusks under his shield, before using them to throw it across the room, robbing Jaune of his only real defense. As the shield clattered to the ground on the other end of the room, I could feel what little hope in Jaune die to fear, terror, and despair. Something the Grimm could feel too.

It attempted to stomp on Jaune's head, but in a fit of adrenaline and fear driven movement, he managed to roll out of the way, and get back on his feet. But, unwilling to let its delectably despairing prey get away, the Grimm fluidly slammed its head into his chest, stunning him.

It gave the Grimm the opening it needed to take a few steps back, before charging Jaune once more.

Stunned and without his shield to defend himself, Jaune helpless but to take the full brunt of the charge this time. Instead of knocking him down, the Boarbatusk picked Jaune up in its tusks, carrying him, before slamming Jaune into the wall at full speed with a loud _SLAM_.

The impact was forceful enough to shake the whole room and create a small dent in the wall.

Dazed from the impact, Jaune was barely able to look up at the large Boarbatusk as it threw its hoof down to cave in hi-

_**BOOM!** _

The thunderous report of Professor Port's Blunder Axe sounded in the room, causing everyone unprepared to flinch violently.

The Boarbatusk itself was momentarily stunned by the impact, its armor bearing some scorch marks, but otherwise undamaged. But, not a moment later, it shook it off and turned to the one who dared interrupt its meal with a furious red glare.

Professor Port returned the beast's glare with a steely one of his own.

A silent signal ended the small standoff, and the Boarbatusk charged at the professor. Watching it carefully, Professor Port kept his stance loose, and his gun aimed steadily at the 6ft tall armored Grimm charging him with hunger and hate in its eyes.

Soon, it was nearly upon him, ready to hit him with the full force and fury of its massive armored form. Professor Port, knowing it was the right moment, took aim, and - _ **BOOM!**_

With another booming blast of his gun, the Boarbatusk's right front leg exploded at the small vulnerable joint in the knee. It hit the Grimm just at the right moment to trip it up and send it completely off balance. Like a derailed train, the Boarbatusk rolled and crashed, its momentum keeping it rolling forward.

Professor Port casually sidestepped out of the way of the disabled Grimm as it crashed past him into the wall. Then, he calmly walked over to the crippled Grimm, held the large muzzle up the beast's head, and with another _**BOOM!**_ , erased it from existence.

With its death, the professor's shoulder's sagged, and her turned to Jaune with a regretful expression on his face.

"My...apologies, Mr. Arc. It seems I made an error in judgment in my zeal. I shall endeavor to make sure to be more...careful...in further classes." He apologized to him.

Jaune, however, looked like he took it differently than Professor Port intended. I could feel the massive waves of shame and disappointment wrapping around his aura. He probably thought that Professor Port was saying he should have picked something more appropriate for a weakling like him.

In a way, he was, but Jaune was missing the point by wallowing in his own misery and self-disgust.

 _I suppose we'll have to find a way to fix this_ I thought, looking down at Jaune as he picked up his sword and shield.

 _Because this_ _cannot_ _continue_.

* * *

**Goodwitch pov**

"that…actually happened?" I asked, surprised.

Not that I expected Ruby to lie to me about something like this, it was just…well…surprising.

"Yes. I'm actually a little surprised you hadn't heard of it earlier." Ruby commented.

"I've been busy recently, I haven't had as much time to chat with my colleagues as I might wish. Even if I did, Professor Port isn't exactly my…first…choice of companions." I explained

Ruby seemed to accept that with a shallow nod of her head, and a simple hum.

"But, it seems I'm going to have to have another talk with him about how he teaches his classes," I said with narrowed eyes.

"Still, I find it quite surprising that someone who's gone through combat school, and got accepted into Beacon, did that poorly against a Boarbatusk, even an old one. Especially a man who survived the harshest, and most deadly Initiation ever to be held, along with nearly 24 hours in the Emerald Forest with only his team." I commented.

"Well that's probably because Jaune never went through combat school," Ruby remarked offhandedly.

 _What_ I thought, my entire thought process coming to a stuttering halt.

"But his transcripts-" I began to say.

"-Are fake." She interrupted me.

I froze, stopping my walking for a brief second as I tried to process this information.

_Jaune Arc's transcripts had been faked? And they had passed?!_

I couldn't believe it. There should have been no way for that to happen. Ozpin approved them himself-

 _Wait_.

"That bastard." I ground out under my breath as I felt an aneurysm begin to develop.

 _He_ _would_ _do something like this._ I thought

The only son in the noble Arc line this generation, Ozpin probably jumped at the chance to recruit him, regardless of how dangerous or risky it was. He probably saw potential or something in the boy and decided to gamble the poor boy's hopes, dreams, and very life on the chance that somehow this untrained teenager would be able to survive Initiation.

It was careless, irresponsible, childish, and….so totally Ozpin.

"Ozpin _let_ Mr. Arc in, knowing full well that his transcripts were fake." I said, thinking out loud.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he modified them himself, to just to make extra sure he would be accepted."

"Probably." Ruby threw in.

"How could he be so irresponsible? Mr. Arc could have been killed!" I practically growled, "All on the off chance that he would be some kind of…hero…or something."

"But, he did survive." Ruby pointed out.

I paused.

She _did_ technically have a point.

Jaune Arc had, somehow, managed to survive the bloodiest, most tragic Initiation in history, something that was supposed to weed out the weak and unfit from the school. And he had done it without having hardly any combat training to speak of.

"Though, a good chunk of that was based on luck." Ruby admitted.

"Still, I'd rather you not expel the only person on my team, in the school really, who doesn't secretly want to kill me in my sleep." Ruby added, glancing up at me with those silver eyes of hers.

I frowned, "Allowing students to attend this school solely based on their friendships isn't exactly wise."

"Fair enough. But, he did pass the bloodiest Initiation in history. He has to be doing _something_ right." Ruby responded.

"Even still, that doesn't mean he will survive his next brush with death. Better to crush his dreams and expel him now, than have him die a bloody death that serves no purpose." I argued

"True…" Ruby trailed off, her eyes slipping to the side. Then, I saw the corners of her mouth quirk upwards ever so slightly as she added, "But do you really think Ozpin will let you?"

I recoiled silently in surprise, then contained fury took its place as I realized the truth of the statement.

"Shit." I cursed silently

She was right. In fact, Ozpin would probably have many of the same arguments, combined with a few about the great potential he saw in the boy, or something of the like. The biggest difference, however, was that Ozpin could actually keep the boy enrolled here. Ruby could only try to change my mind.

With a sigh, I realized I honestly couldn't do much about it, other than try to talk some sense into Ozpin. Something I knew wouldn't really work, but I had to try and do _something_ to save this boy's life.

Then, something else occurred to me.

"Ruby…how do you know this?" I asked warily

"I have my ways." She answered cryptically.

I frowned, knowing what she meant. She trusted me enough not to lie to me, but didn't trust me enough to actually tell me the truth. Which probably mean the truth was something I wouldn't like.

"Was it illegal?" I asked, hoping she could give me that much

At that, she paused for a moment, considering her answer.

"I…don't believe so. I'd be a little surprised if it was, honestly, but then, I don't know all the rules and regulations of this country yet, so it might have actually been illegal in some way," She responded carefully.

I sighed, knowing that this cryptic answer was really the best I was going to get.

 _Maybe one day, she'll feel comfortable enough to tell me the whole truth, to not give me these half-truths and technicalities_ I thought somewhat wistfully.

Still, though, I couldn't help the second thought that crossed my mind.

_But will I want to hear it?_

* * *

Finally, we entered the training room I had reserved for the two of us. It was a circular room usually used for combat training, and as a result contained all the things I was looking for.

It was made to stand up to punishment, so no accidental discharges of Dust would do any damage, and the safety systems would kick to provide damage control should something go wrong. In addition, it had targets we could use, and the basic requirements for all the Dust types we would be experimenting with.

As I lead Ruby to the table in the center of the room that contained the testing samples, I explained things to Ruby.

"Dust usage and Aura control go hand in hand." I began

"You use your Aura to activate, control, and shape the effects of Dust. Something that requires deft control over your Aura. For most people, using Dust may simply result in a burst of fire, or a strong gust of wind. But for those with true skill in controlling their Aura, and by extension, Dust, truly incredible things are possible." I explained

"For example, I once knew a man who was quite proficient in the use of Wind Dust used in conjunction with other types to produce powerful, controlled, and spectacular storms with just a twirl of his staff."

"So Aura control is the key aspect in Dust control?" She inquired, "Is that it?"

"No, there are several other things needed for good Dust control, and to become a good Dust mage. Aura control is just the most critical. Another critical aspect is your Aural alignment." I answered.

"Aural alignment?" She reiterated with a raised brow in puzzlement.

"Yes. Aural alignment refers to how one's Aura is aligned with the elements and Dust. Some people just lack a proper alignment to any type of Dust. Others, however, might have a generally good alignment to all of them, but have no specialties." I explained to her

"But most people have a certain element their Aura is most aligned to, one that comes easier to them."

"How does your alignment matter?" Ruby asked, "Does it determine what Dust you can use well?"

"In way." I began carefully. This was somewhat tricky terrain, with a lot of qualifiers, and not a lot of hard facts.

"Alignment generally refers to the element most associated with your aura, and often by extension your semblance. It also usually refers to how you aura is associated with the other elements. That association can significantly help, or hurt, how well you can interact and use different forms of Dust." I explained

"It not a perfect science, honestly, and there are several rare exceptions to the rule, but that's the standard," I added.

Ruby hummed in acknowledgment, silently asking me to continue.

So I did.

"Depending on who you ask, there can be many different "core" elements. By one standard there are three, fire, lightning, and ice. By another standard, there are four, fire, wind, water, and earth. But for the sake of finding your best match, we'll be working with the September set." I announced

At her confused look, I decided to continue.

Finally arriving at the table, I gestured to the seven different dust crystals on the table.

"Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Ice, Lightning, and Force. Red, teal, bronze, green, white, cobalt, and violet, respectively" I pointed out, gesturing to each one.

"Now, they come in more colors than this, and the color can vary based on individual variations of the core element. For example, common fire dust is often red. But, the more golden variety is highly explosive. The more orange-red variety, however, has more heat than explosive force, and is often used for melting." I explained.

"I see." She muttered in acknowledgment, looking over the crystals in barely contained awe.

Then, turning to me, curiosity glimmering in those hollow silver orbs of hers, she asked, "Where do we start?"

"Wind dust," I smiled back.

With a nod in acceptance, she looked back towards the dust crystals, searching momentarily for the green one. Picking it up in her right hand, she twisted it around in her fingers, inspecting it.

"What now?" She asked as she continued to examine the emerald crystal.

"Mold you aura, and try to push it into, and through the crystal," I instructed.

And my instructions, she held her arms out, both hands clasped around the green gem. She closed her eyes as she concentrated on the task at hand. Then, I began to hear that ever so soft buzzing on the edge of my hearing, so soft I had to question its very existence. The ever-present aura of unease Ruby gave off seemed to fluctuate and grow. I could feel her aura twist and shift as she began to take more direct control of it.

Then, a soft green light began to pour out from her hands, and a small gust of wind picked up around her. As it grew, so too did the light and static, and soon the wind gently spun around her.

She looked like she was in a quiet, pleased, peace. Her hair and red cape carried in the gentle breeze, and a soft, ghost of a smile playing on her lips. The pleasant scene before me was almost enough to counterbalance the creeping edge of her aura that filled everything it touched with unsettling unease.

Almost.

Still, it soon came to an end. The breeze died down, the glow faded, and that unsettling static quieted. When it was done, Ruby opened her eyes and looked to me, a small spark of hope and excitement dancing in her eyes.

"How was that?" She asked.

"Splendid. You seem to have either a very good alignment with wind, or you're extremely adept at controlling your aura." I began,

"Either way, it's clear you have potential as a Dust mage," I added with a small smile, quite pleased with her abilities.

Some part of me was filled with a level of childlike glee and excitement. It was depressingly rare for me to find anyone proficient enough in both aura and dust to have potential as a Dust mage, and it was equally exciting to find that Ruby had an affinity for my own alignment of wind.

I still wasn't quite sure if she was a strongly aligned toward it as I was, considering she already had enough Aura control to use Aura sensing, but…

 _She has potential._ I thought with a measure of pride.

In response to my praise, she gave me a small smile in return.

As she placed the dust crystal back on the table, I couldn't help but notice something…odd…about it. It had been used slightly, so it was smaller now, using up some of its mass to produce the wind, but there was something else. It looked like there was something…moving…inside the crystal itself. Shifting, writhing.

I blinked, and it was gone.

 _Probably just an after effect of Ruby's aura on my mind._ I thought with a concerned frown.

So, we moved onto the others.

When she used the water Dust, a bit more of the picture of Ruby's alignment, as well as her skill in Aura control became apparent, as she was barely able to produce a trickle from the blue Dust crystal, let alone a small floating orb of water like she would if she had an alignment towards it. Similar things happened with the Earth Dust, as she was barely able to cause a small mound of dirt to rise out of the ground.

The Force dust, despite its name, actually affected the mass of objects, as opposed to directly affecting force itself. It could make something lighter, or heavier. It was often used in airships to allow them to float, as opposed to wind or earth dust, since it tended to be more stable and consistent along all materials and conditions. That said, due to its high demand in the more industrial side of things, it was harder to come by for use in tactical functions.

Still, when Ruby picked it up, it didn't do too much, only allowing her to pick up a pebble a few inches off the ground, enveloped in a dark purple field.

Then, there came the Ice Dust.

The Ice Dust reacted strangely. Instead of producing a crystal of ice, it actually began to freeze her hand, sucking the heat right out of it. By the time she dropped it, it had managed to give her hand what looked like the early stages of frostbite.

Concerned, I wanted to stop to try and get immediate medical attention on it. Ruby stopped me, however, when she pointed out that it was already going away.

Due to her unusual Aura, her hand was completely fine after about 10 minutes of rest, looking as good as new.

And so, she convinced me to allow us to continue to the Fire Dust.

"Are you sure?" I asked, concerned.

There was a reason I had saved fire and lightning dust for last. It was because they were the most volatile, and most dangerous on their own. The same could be said of Ice Dust, as seen by what happened to Ruby's hand just minutes ago.

"Well, I can't just walk away without knowing, can I?" She retorted

"Besides, if anything goes wrong, I have you here." She added, the corner of her mouth curling upwards ever so slightly as she looked at me.

"Fine." I sighed, relenting to her demands.

 _Still_ I thought, drawing my crop in anticipation of the worst. _It's best to be prepared_

"Though…" She began, turning back to the table.

"I suppose I don't have the best track record with fire." She said, reaching out to the red, glowing, crystal with her left hand.

"Sometimes it's hurt me, sometimes we've done wonderful things toge-" she added.

As she spoke the crystal _Pulsed_. Then.

_ **BOOM!** _

For one moment, all I knew was the light, heat, sound, and fury of an explosion. An instant later, I felt the vague sensation of being airborne, then the feeling of crashing into the cold hard ground.

Everything hurt, everything was sore. I felt like I had been hit with burning hot water, everything burning uncomfortably and painfully, but not dangerously. My head was still fuzzy and filled with stars. My hearing filled with an incessant ringing, and my vision filled with odd shapes and colors.

As I slowly started to regain my senses, I thanked the protective nature of my Aura. Without it, I surely would have been more injured than simply being knocked around and stunned. That is, of course, when I remembered someone who's aura wasn't so protective, someone who was much more vulnerable than me. Someone who was much closer to the blast than me.

_Ruby._

My eyes flew open, adrenaline coursing through my veins as fear surged through my body, throwing any form of inaction from my body. I pushed myself off the ground, frantically looking everywhere for any sign of Ruby, a glimpse of her red cloak, a feeling of unease, a flash of her silver eyes.

Then, I saw it.

A dark mound of something burning, something just the size of a certain small girl, on the other end of the room.

"Ruby!" I called out, running to her, hoping beyond hope that she was fine, that somehow her cloak had shielded her, protected her. That perhaps she was simply exaggerating when she said her aura couldn't protect her.

As I ran to her, I quickly extinguishing the flames with the aid of my semblance and the wind dust in my crop. My heart pounded in my chest, and all I could think about was praying she was okay.

But it wasn't to be.

When I finally got to her, my heart nearly shattered, and I nearly became ill.

Ruby was lying there, on the ground, silent and unmoving. Not even that ever-present aura of unease was there to comfort me, as strange as it sounds.

She was covered in darkened, 2nd to 3rd-degree burns, in many places, it looked like her clothes had been melted and fused to her still smoking skin. The scent of burnt flesh was heavy in the air, and as the ringing in my ears finally died down, I began to hear the alarm sounding in its place.

Her left arm had taken the brunt of the blow, being closest to what I can only assume was the detonation point, the fire dust crystal. Several of the fingers had been messily and brutally torn off, with two fingers on her had "whole", the others at least missing pieces. Nearly all the skin had been blown off her arm, leaving little but charred flesh and bone left.

Her cloak seemed to have been somewhat spared from the onslaught, and while it was now slightly charred at the edges, it looked fine.

But what stole my attention, what captivated me, enthralled me, horrified me most, was her face.

Her face had been melted off into a mess of darkened burned flesh. Her once hollow, yet emotional silver eyes, had been burned out, and in their place were two blackened holes. Her mouth was opened, and blackened, charred hole on the inside. Since it was opened when the dust crystal exploded into a fireball, the fire likely went into her mouth, and down her throat, burning her from the inside out.

Worst of all, her melted face had been twisted, contorted, into an expression of horrified agony. Her face was a gruesome look of frozen terror and pain.

And it made me sick to my stomach just looking at her burned body.

I felt soul-crushing horror, despair, and anguish at what had happened, at what I had _allowed_ to happen.

 _It wasn't supposed to be like this_. I thought, looking at the eternal look of pain and terror on her corpse.

All I had wanted to do was give Ruby and chance to experience things her family had taken from her in a way I thought would be relatively safe.

Sure, fire dust could be reactive, but in it's crystalline form, it was usually more stable. It would usually take a serious energy discharge into the crystal to activate it, whether it be Aura or a bullet. And even in the event it did activate, it should have simply started a fire.

Dangerous, but manageable.

For the dust crystal to explode in a fireball from simply a _touch_ was…unprecedented.

 _But I should have known_ I thought.

I should have known something would have gone wrong. For some reason chaos and insanity seemed to follow the young girl wherever she went. Nothing she did ended "normally". She felt like a walking affront to some fundamental law of the world. Something the world was doing it's damndest to fix.

After a moment's hesitation of horror, I moved once more, to see if she was still…alive. A normal person in her condition might have survived, and I already knew she had survived the Grimm attack. It wasn't unreasonable to hope that she had survived this.

Though I had no idea how she'd recover.

But as I moved forward, I felt something else take hold within me.

Fear.

No

No, fear isn't the right word for it. It's too…logical, too solid.

It didn't express the feeling of sheer _wrongness_ I suddenly felt, as if the world had just been tilted, ever so slightly. My skin suddenly felt tight against my skin, the room too small and shrinking around me, the shadows too dark and empty, and they light to bright and glaring. It felt as if some fundamental aspect of the world had just violated, some basic law broken, and for it, the world would never be the same again.

The sound of the alarms ringing fell away into a quiet, tense buzzing. A sound that was if the world itself was holding its breath in anticipation of something.

Then it happened.

With a large, wheezing, gasp, Ruby sucked in a hoarse breath of air. The new life breathed into her caused her chest to rise, her back to arch, and her fingers to twitch. After the first breath, her body became wracked with hard, gasping, coughs, as if she couldn't breathe properly.

In that moment, I was torn.

I wanted to run to her, to help her. That's what _I_ wanted to do. But something… _else_ …in me was didn't. It wanted to run away, to finish her off, to stay right here. It was _afraid_ of something in her. That feeling of unease I had always felt around her was back, but it felt more powerful, more raw. As if before, it was more contained, and only wisps of it were leaking out to give me a clue as to what was held within. whereas now, the seal had been cracked.

So I was frozen there, unable to move, fighting against my own body, my own instincts. All I could do was watch.

I saw Ruby's coughing slowly come under control, calming down and sounding less painful. As it died down, she seemed to regain enough presence of mind to use her limbs again. She rolled over, pushing herself of the ground slowly, and carefully.

Every movement was jerky, twitchy, as if her body was a puppet, and she was pulling the strings.

When she got up, she stopped for a moment, as if waiting for something. Then, slowly, carefully, she turned her head straight toward me, her body soon following suit.

Consciously, I suspected it was because she could sense me with her Aura, but it didn't remove the unsettling feeling born from the fact she knew exactly where I was even though her eyes had been burned out of her skull.

She looked at me with those burned out sockets, and reached out to me with her right arm, the less damaged one. She opened her mouth and attempted to say something, but the only sound that came out resembled a dry, raspy, bark or cough.

She stopped, pulling back her arm and reaching for her neck. As she felt it, she looked down, and despite her burned and melted face, I could see the agonizing despair within her. I could see the pain in every step she had taken, every movement she made, and the despair at not even being able to call out for help when she needed it.

And Ruby was someone who never really seemed to ask for help. She always seemed to like to think she could do something on her own. Sure, she would ask questions, but she seemed to have a fair amount of pride too, confident that she could handle most everything else life handed. To see her actually attempt to call out to me, to see her in such a state that she _admitted_ she needed help, it sent me over the edge.

It was the push I needed to pull myself out of this frozen stupor, to regain control of myself.

I ran up to her, stopping just before her before crouching down in front of her.

"Ruby, can you hear me?" I asked cautiously.

Her head jerked toward me in response, a silent confirmation. She looked at me with those empty sockets again, and while I couldn't see it in her face, I could feel a measure of hope rise from her.

"I'm going to take you to the medical wing-" I began to say.

Before I could finish, Ruby surprised me by grabbing onto my shirt and pulling herself toward me, tucking her head into the crook of my neck, before wrapping her arms around me.

My mind went blank.

She had never done something so…intimate, I rarely even touched her. I was just going to pick her up in my arms, I never expected her to pull me into a hug of sorts and cling onto me. In my stunned state, something else happened

" _No"_ A voice sounded.

It…it didn't exactly sound like it came from anywhere in particular. It didn't even particularly sound like I had explicitly _heard_ it at all. It was more like I got the impression of someone saying no, the intent of it echoing in my head.

" _No…Just…Rest"_ It spoke again slowly. Its voice was like a whisper in the wind sounding in my mind, but even still, the intent was clear.

As was the source.

I turned to look down at Ruby while saying, slightly awed, "Ruby? How are you-"

" _REST"_ It repeated, more loudly this time.

It was then followed by a quiet, _"please"_

That was all I needed for my will against this girl to melt.

"O…Okay" I said tentatively, still shaken by the events that had transpired.

I wrapped an arm around her and picked her up, allowing her red cloak wrap around and cover he burned form.

Using one arm and my semblance, I did what I could to fix the room up before leaving with Ruby in my arms.

I made my way to the room I had on campus.

Normally, I lived in my house off campus, but often times I would find myself too busy to bother with a 20 minute commute, and so I had room reserved specifically for me, in the Staff Housing building. After all, some members of the staff actually lived on campus.

Though, admittedly, my room was a bit more…private…than there's.

In any case, soon we were inside my room, and I laid Ruby down gently onto the bed. Looking back down at her, I could already see her burned and melted flesh molding itself back to its original form. It was even unbinding itself from the burned clothes that had previously fused to her skin.

 _Incredible_ I thought, looking at it.

It was one thing for her to say that she could regenerate quickly, and even to see scars as signs of it, but it was quite another to actually _see_ her body putting itself back together.

Still, I had things I needed to do about this, people I needed to explain this to. I'm sure Ozpin would want to know why training room 4 had an explosive incident. So, I began to get up to leave, but then I was stopped.

" _stay"_ her voice sounded in my mind again.

I turned to look to her, and saw something I don't think I'll ever forget.

A liquid began to pool into her left burned out eye socket from somewhere, swirling around in the hole. Then, slowly, it began to reform into a silver eyeball. After the eye blinked, it locked onto my form, looking straight into my eyes with a tentatively pleading expression.

She shuffled a bit, prospering herself up on her mangled elbows to let her sit up a bit, before repeating, _"Stay"_

"Ruby…" I began to explain, "As much as I want to, I have things I have to do, people I have to tell. I can't just…leave it."

She looked down for a moment, before looking back up at me.

" _Please,"_ She added, her silver eye begging me to stay with her, pleading me to grant her some support in her vulnerable state.

And just one look at her pleading form was all I needed for my will to crumble to her.

I sighed, before a small smile forced its way onto my face, against my will. It was irresponsible, and it was unbecoming of someone of my station to just disregard protocol and sit with an injured student, but…

I wanted this.

So, I walked over to the bed, Ruby's eye tracking me the whole way, before I laid down onto the bed next to her myself. I reached out with a hand and slowly began to massage the top of her head. She gave me a pleased hum in response, unconsciously moving her head into my hand and closing her eye.

Then she moved again, scooting up closer to me, before resting her head on my lap and curling up next to my side.

I stopped for a moment, once again surprised by the intimacy of her actions, before the feeling of her resting against me truly sunk in, and a warm feeling traveled through my body.

A small, pleased, smile found its way back onto my face, and I resumed massaging her scalp.

" _Thank you"_ Her voice sounded again, after a moment.

Then, I could feel her go to sleep, the unusual Aura falling away and her breaths becoming steady and rhythmic.

So, as I sat there, laying on the bed, Ruby curled up against me, resting as I petted her head, I could help but feel surprisingly good, despite what had happened to her.

_For some reason, this just feels…right_

* * *

**Torchwick pov**

"Knock knock."

"Please, for the love of God, _Shut up_." She begged.

I just chuckled

_I feel better already_

"Didn't we already do this song and dance already?" I asked teasingly.

She just whined in response, trying not to think about the time she spent with me.

"So, I say again, Knock. Knock." I said theatrically.

She sighed, resigning himself to her fate.

"Who's there?" She groaned.

"Cows go." I replied with a grin

I was _really_ proud of this one.

"Cows go _who_?" She asked warily.

I smiled in anticipation of her response. I was struggling to keep a straight face.

"No, silly." I began

She looked at me with a confused look, not understanding where I was going with this. I had to hold in my laughter the whole time. I was so close to cracking up.

I turned to her, looking her straight in the eyes.

"Cows go _moo_!" I said theatrically, taking my hands out from behind my head and waving them at her for effect.

All with a patronizing smile on my face.

It took her half a second to process that, and when she did, she instantly regretted it. She groaned loudly, as if the joke caused her _physical_ _pain_. She banged her head against the cell's "Window" with a loud _thump_ each time.

"Why me?" She cried.

I just cackled again.

_Mission accomplished._

"I wouldn't have to if you just let me smoke." I countered.

"You know I would if I could, but they'll never let me. They say you're too dangerous." Mila explained.

"Oh, I'm sure nobody would mind if I just took a few puffs." I said flippantly.

"Plus, smoking's dangerous for your health." She argued.

" _Really?_ I had no idea." I drawled, giving her an exaggerated look.

"It's actually pretty common knowledge, I'm surprised you didn't know that." She responded seriously, the sarcasm flying way over her head.

I paused, looking at her with a stunned face.

"…I _think_ I might know why they sent you in here with me." I said finally in realization.

"Oh really? What's that?" She asked, genuinely curious.

I paused again, unable to believe there was a grown ass woman _this fucking dense._

And yet, here she was.

 _Maybe it's the dog in her?_ I considered.

Speaking of which.

"Hey Mila, why do you hide your ears?" I asked, changing subject and genuinely curious.

She gave me a slightly confused look, tilting her head ever so slightly. It kind of reminded me of the girl that threw me in here.

"Hide my ears?" She asked.

"Yeah, you wear a hat all the damn time. You already told me you were a Faunus and I saw your ears one time when you had to massage them, so if you're trying to hide it, you're doing a pretty shit job." I explained.

" _Oh_." She said, understanding dawning on her.

"I'm not hiding my ears." She began to explain.

"What?" I asked.

"I just like wearing hats." She explained with a shrug and a simple smile.

"…Huh." I said, surprised at how simple an explanation that was.

I was partly expecting some long backstory, like it was her dead grandfather's hat and he gave it to her on his deathbed, or some such shit.

"I can respect that." I said.

As a wearer of hats myself, I got that. Hats are cool. Don't get me wrong, she's not as cool as me. I easily wear my hat with much more class than she ever could, and I don't even have to try.

Still though, as one hat wearer to another, I could respect it.

But…

There was something else bugging me. Something other than Le Livre Noir.

"So Mila." I began "What's going on out there?"

"Uh…not much." Mila responded after a moment of thought.

"Really?" I asked, not convinced.

"Yup. Just a whole lot of nothing." She answered

"That's funny, because I've noticed that the station's started to feel...tense…in recent days. People speaking in hushed whispers, talks of patrols and searching for something. I've even heard of talk of watchmen and huntsmen involvement." I expounded, looking toward the white wall in front of me.

Then, I turned back to her, looking her straight in the eyes and said, "Something's happening out there Mila. And I want to know what it is."

My words drained the room of any previous joviality that it held. Suddenly it was filled with a thick tense atmosphere. It was suffocating and crushing, like the room was holding its breath, waiting to see what would happen next.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, she finally opened her mouth.

"We…aren't sure." She began hesitantly.

"But…right now, it looks like some kind of Grimm is loose in the city." She finally answered.

I paused for a moment, trying to process that moment, before finally,

" _What_?" I asked

 _Did cinder start the Breach early?_ I thought.

We already started preparing for it, but it wasn't supposed to actually happen for months. I was supposed to work on gathering more dust before we blew a hole in the wall. If this was Cinder's doing…what had changed?

 _Am I…am I out of the picture now?_ I considered.

Had she thrown me away? Was I no longer useful? On the one hand, that was bad, in that it meant she wouldn't be breaking me out of here. On the other hand, it was great, because hopefully it meant I didn't have to deal with that crazy bitch anymore.

Still, knowing her, she wouldn't want to leave any loose ends.

_Shit._

I was shaken from my thoughts, when Mila responded to my exclamation.

"People have started disappearing in the city, as well as a few bloody messes in well-hidden alleys and corners. We also have a couple reported sightings of a white blur running around. But, the thing really setting the brass on edge, is the two witness we have." She explained.

"The first is some woman that somehow managed to get away, who reported seeing something that resembled a large Beowolf, but was covered from head to toe in white fur."

"The second, is from Officer Rosientoter, who saw a white Beowolf resembling the women's description. Something also seen in his helmet cam's recording of the event." She explained.

I paused again

"…A _White_ Beowolf?" I asked in disbelief

Grimm were mainly black, only their plates were white. And Beowolve's tended not to have too many. But…it was also a well known fact that Grimm changed as they got older, getting bigger, stronger, and often growing more plates and spikes.

If this Grimm was _completely_ white…

"At this point we're calling it the White Wolf, and it's a top priority right now. We might have disregarded it if Officer Rosientoter's helmet cam didn't give us solid proof this Grimm exists, and that it was seen near the city." She explained

"How did it get in?" I asked, wondering if it was related to the breach. I doubted it, because she might have lead with the breach if it did. But that still raised the question of how a Grimm got into the city.

"At this point, we aren't sure, but it's assumed that it got in using the storm that just hit us as cover of some sorts. Maybe it used the tornado to throw itself inside the walls, and it's just so tough that it managed to survive the fall." She explained

Then, she shuddered, saying, "And if it can survive a Tornado, it makes me wonder what it takes to kill it."

That was a good point, and a frightening thought. Beowolve's main weakness was how weak they were. They were fast, and had a solid attack, but they could be put down pretty easily. But the idea of a Beowolf that could actually take hits? That could walk away from getting tossed around by a tornado?

_That's some nightmare fuel right there._

"But, at the same time, the Brass is making sure this is all wrapped up nice and tight, top secret and such. We don't want it getting out to the public that there's a Grimm in the city." She added

"Because if you did, fear would run rampant through the streets, and there would be a panic. Which, when dealing with Grimm, would be the worst possible outcome." I continued for her.

"Yup." She nodded solemnly.

"We're stuck in a bad place right now. We need to launch a serious manhunt to track this thing down and kill it, fast. But, if we're too obvious about it, then it'll start a panic, which would just make everything worse." She explained.

"At this point, I've heard rumors that we might even say that we're trying to track down a serial killer, to use as a cover for it all." She added.

I snorted in grim amusement.

"So you'd rather say you're hunting down some human killer than admit that there's a Grimm in the city?" I said.

"That's what it sound like." She answered with a helpless expression.

As I let out a long sigh, I said, "What is the world coming to?"

"And will I be there to see it?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so that was scene 23, hope it was good.
> 
> I myself am still not too sure about it, but that's mainly because I did a few things I'm not entirely used to(fluff things) and things my muse was incredibly unhelpful with, (Jaune's "fight")
> 
> this is also a pretty fucking long chapter, one of my longest, so there's that.
> 
> But yeah, in summary, Ruby successfully enacted emergency countermeasures against Yang.
> 
> Jaune got his ass handed to him by an old Boarbatusk(Weiss had problems with one, it's hardly a stretch to think an old one would kick Jaune's ass) in front of the whole class
> 
> Ruby told Glynda Jaune's little secret about his transcripts, but Glynda can't actually do anything about it because Ozpin is a whimsical bastard.
> 
> Glynda explained Dust and Aura control
> 
> Ruby blew her face off
> 
> Ruby and Glynda gory fluff
> 
> And then some more Torchwick tales to wrap it all up.
> 
> You know, it's funny, I met a bunch of peoplewho also do things with fanfiction(RWBY namely), and when I brought up that I put gore in my fluff they were all like, "Metal, you can't put gore in your fluff. That's not how it works."
> 
> Which made me all sad and paranoid, so I was like, "What? So this doesn't work?", and showed it to them.
> 
> At which point they said, "Metal, how the fuck did you make gore fluffy? how."
> 
> And I'm still not sure if it works or not, honestly


	24. Scene 24: To Some Delinquents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first week at Beacon ends as Pyrrha confronts Jaune about his lack of skill, offering her aid. While that goes according to plan, with Jaune shoving it in her face, the fallout of the incident throws the course of canon thoroughly off the rails.

**Pyrrha pov**

_Today's the day_ I thought to myself.

I had waited and waited, putting it off more and more. When I thought of the idea, I said I'd wait until the weekend. Now it was Sunday night.

I knew why I was putting it off. I was scared. I had never done something like this before. Never done _anything_ like this before. I had no idea if there was a certain way to do this, if there was a right way to do it and I was doing it all wrong. I didn't want to ruin what I had with him already, but if this went well, things could go so much further.

Last Wednesday, during Grimm studies, I saw Jaune struggling to fight of the old Boarbatusk. Even though it would have been a difficult fight for most people, it was very clear to me that Jaune didn't have much training with his weapons, if any at all.

If I was being honest with myself, he looked like a complete mess who only really based his style off of seeing some stuff in TV, movies, and maybe actually watching someone do it a few times.

His stance was weak, his aura unfocused, his defense flimsy. It's really only thanks to Professor Port that Jaune wasn't seriously injured.

 _But_ I thought _I could use this._

_I could help him_

I knew how to use a shield and sword to great effect, and even if there were some differences in our weapons, I could still teach him.

_And I want him to get better_

I don't want him to be in a position like that ever again, I don't want him to be weak and helpless. And Initiation probably won't be the most difficult and dangerous thing we're going to face on our path to becoming hunters. I want to make sure Jaune is ready to face those challenges, and that he doesn't falter, and die…

Plus, it would be a great chance for me to become better friends with him. That is…if I am his friend in the first place.

I mean, he never said he is. And he could be just being nice because he's being polite or something.

 _What if he doesn't actually like me?_ I thought, fear soaking in once more.

 _What if he's just faking it?_ I considered.

Then, I pushed those doubts far from my mind with a firm shake of my head.

 _No. I can't think about that._ I thought with resolve _I said I was going to do it, and I'm not going to go back on my own word to myself. I can't let myself fall to fear._

_I'll never know if I don't try, after all_

So, with that thought, I knocked on Jaune's door.

After a second of hearing the shuffling of papers, a chair scraping against the floor, and some footsteps with bated breath, the door opens.

"Pyrrha?" He asked with a puzzled face "What's up?"

"Um, Jaune, I was hoping to talk to you about something in private?" I say, ignoring the butterflies swarming in my stomach.

"Uh…sure." Jaune agrees, still unsure what this is all about.

"So Pyrrha, what'd you want to talk about?" He asked

* * *

I had taken us out back behind the dorm building to get some privacy and in the hopes that the nice cool night air would help me keep my calm.

 _It's kind of funny, isn't it?_ I internally commented to myself, _I can face down Grimm with no problem, but dealing with one boy my own age terrifies me._

Turning to him, I shoved my doubts and fears down and pressed on.

"Jaune…I…" I stumbled, getting rocked by another flare of pain from my migraine.

I had been getting them on and off since Initiation, but recently it felt like they had just been getting worse and worse. Combined with my growing lapses in memory, and the occasional nightmares and flashbacks, I felt like I was under some massive pressure at all times, trying to overwhelm and consume me.

Even still, I had to push through. Just for a while I had managed to call Sahib, and he would be coming soon to help. He would know what to do.

Until then, I had to just endure. No, more than endure, I needed to thrive. And that meant trying to be the person Sahib always wanted me to be, the kind he _knew_ I could be, that _I_ wanted to be.

"I know you aren't the…best fighter," I said with renewed resolve delicately.

Judging by the way he flinched, he knew it too.

_How could he not?_

"I saw how you did during class on Wednesday, against the old Boarbatusk. And anyone would have had problems with it Jaune. It's just…I noticed some things you could do better." I carefully tried to say.

At my words, Jaune looked down to the ground, dipping his head in shame, balling his fists tightly by his sides.

"So…" I began.

And here it was, the moment I had been dreading.

"I was thinking…maybe I could help you." I suggested with a tentative smile

"What are you trying to say?" He questioned with a tight voice, still not looking at me, his messy blond hair shadowing his face.

"I-I'm just saying I could give you some help, some training to make you stronger," I answered, panicking slightly.

I was in unknown territory. Jaune sounded like he was getting emotional, and I had no idea how to handle that, how to calm him down, to make him understand.

"Are you saying I'm weak?" He questioned again.

"No!" I immediately replied

"No, I just…you're not as strong as you could be, and you have a lot of potential. And I wanted to try and give you a hand." I tried to explain.

"You think I need help? That I'm too weak to do it on my own?" He said, anger tingeing his voice.

"Jaune, everyone needs some help from time to time. It's fine." I said, trying to calm him down, then, switching gears, I tried to cheer him up.

"I mean, you got into Beacon!" I said, "Do you know how hard that is? How much that already says about your abilities?"

Jaune laughed, a hollow, empty, bitter laugh.

"You have no idea." He muttered, turning away from me.

"Jaune?" I said, confused and scared. I slowly approached him, trying to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder, something I thought might help.

"You don't know anything about me!" He yelled, spinning around on me suddenly.

"You think I got accepted into Beacon because of my _potential_?" He snarled, his eyes red and watery.

"I _cheated_ my way into Beacon Pyrrha!" He shouted.

I recoiled from him, stunned speechless.

_What?_

"I don't belong here Pyrrha, I faked my transcripts and forced my way in!" He continued, yelling in my shocked face.

"All throughout my life, I kept hearing stories about how great my father was, my grandfather, and his father before him. Stories about them being great heroes and huntsmen." He said, tears streaming down his reddened face.

"And they expected the same out of me. But it never happened, but I never measured up, so eventually they just gave up and stopped expecting something out of me. Even my own parents saw me as a weak coward."

"And I was just sick of it!" He screamed

"I was sick of being the weak one, the one that needed saving, the damsel in distress. _I_ was going to be strong! I was going to be able to save people! Help People! Be useful!" He ranted, his voice growing hoarse and tired.

"I was finally going to be the Hero!" he finally exclaimed, coming to a stop. He stopped ranting, instead silently sobbing and panting, lowering his head again so his hair shaded his eyes.

I stood there, stunned at his confession. I didn't know what to do. I had no idea what to do at all.

The fact he faked his way is, in a way, surprising, in that I'm surprised he was even able to do it. But, what isn't surprising is that he had to. It actually explains a lot.

 _Oh, Jaune…_ I thought sympathetically.

I myself didn't really have a problem with weakness, not anymore, but…I knew the sting of disappointing people. The fear of being a disappointment, a failure.

That I understood very well.

So, I think I can understand what he's saying. I think I can get through to him.

_Right?_

"Jaune…I-I get what you're saying, but you don't have to-" I tried to say

"Shut up." He said, interrupting me. It was quiet, but it was said with such…anger…such malice, and I could feel it all directed at me.

"Jaune?" I recoiled.

 _Oh no, what did I do?!_ I panicked.

"Shut up. You're just like them. You think I'm weak." He said, looking up just to glare at me with those deep, stormy, sapphire eyes.

"Jaune, it's ok to be we-" I began

"No it's not!" He interjected.

"You don't understand, you _couldn't_ understand. You're so strong and capable. You couldn't _possibly_ understand what it feels like to be me, to be the weak little disappointing coward to everyone." He said.

"I mean, it only took you a few days to realize how much of weak failure I am. And now you're taking pity on me." He seethed.

"No, Jaune, I just want to help you." I tried to defend, spiraling down in a panic.

_No no no! It's all going wrong!_

"Fuck you." He bit out, his glaring only getting stronger and more furious.

"I don't _want_ your fucking pity. I'm going to get strong on my own, and I don't need pity from someone like you who has no idea what it's like being me to do it." He declared.

"So I don't need your help, and I don't _want_ your help. I can't be a hero if I keep being the damsel in distress." He finished, huffing angrily from his tirade, his eyes still water and red, but filled with fury and hate.

All for me.

 _I did it again_ I thought, it all sinking it.

_I made him hate me. My last-my only, friend._

_Gone._

"So…you don't want my-?" I tried to say, choking back tears.

But his angry glare at said it all.

"I-I see…" I said, feeling my eyes water.

"Okay, I'll just-," I said as I turned to leave. I couldn't even finish, feeling my throat close up, a hole in my heart grow, and a pressure in my head increase.

Before I walked away from him, I said, "Sorry", hoping that it might, in some way, make up for what I did to him.

_And it's all my fault._

_Once again I'm all alone, with no friends to call my own, and it's all my fault._

* * *

**Jaune pov**

_Dammit,_ I thought, sitting on the edge of the roof, my legs dangling over the edge.

I came up here after my…"talk" with Pyrrha, where I confessed everything to her, cried in front of her.

Made a complete mess of myself in front of her.

And now she knows I'm not supposed to be here. She's probably going to tell the teachers now and get me expelled.

 _I guess cursing her out didn't really help me there_. I realized.

After sitting up here crying for a bit, I had calmed down. That's, of course, when the shame set in.

I had confessed it all to Pyrrha. My secret, my fears, my family. And I did it all bawling my eyes out like a fucking weak baby idiot.

_That's probably because that's exactly what I am_

I let out another breath, feeling in some ways like a weight had been lifted off my shoulder.

_Well, I guess this is it. I don't have to hide anymore, to worry about being found out, because come tomorrow, it's out of my hands._

"Jaune?" a voice said from behind me.

"Lilith?" I responded, turning to look at her.

"What's-?" I began to say, but voice caught in my throat when I saw her.

She was clothed in her red cloak, the hood raised up over her head, throwing it in shade. In addition, under her cloak, she wore a dark-colored turtleneck sweater, in this light it looked black, but I couldn't be certain.

But what drew my attention was her left hand. It had burns on it and looked like it was missing a few fingers.

"Lilith!" I exclaimed in concerned surprise. "What happened to you ?!"

At my outburst she paused, raising her hand up to her face.

"It was just a training accident, nothing special." She replied while she inspected the limb.

"Are you ok?" I asked

"I'll be fine, my fingers will grow back." She explained

"Really?" I responded, surprised by that, "Can Aura do that?"

During this week, several classes had referred to Aura, but Lt. Nifelheim was the one who explained that is was an extension of your soul that could protect and heal you.

After hearing it explained, it sounded like something my eldest sister had tried to explain to me on a few occasions. It's just, she tended to be kind of bossy, and I didn't really care about the nitty-gritty details of being a hunter too much at the time.

 _I guess I should have paid more attention_ I thought

"Mine can," Lilith responded flatly, not entirely answering my question

"Ok…" I said, not entirely sure how else to respond to that.

"Are you sure you're alright?" I verified, still worried.

" _I'm_ fine." She said, " _You_ on the other hand…"

I let out a nervous chuckle, "What? I'm fine."

"Jaune, your eyes are still red. You've been crying." She pointed out blankly.

"So...What's wrong?" She asked again.

"I…" I began, wondering what to say, how much to trust her.

On the one hand, she was my friend, and I already told Pyrrha. If I can't trust her, who can I trust?

On the other, she was staying with Ms. Goodwitch, her aunt, and someone who would definitely expel me if she found out.

 _Then again, Pyrrha's probably going to tell the teachers, maybe even Ozpin himself. What harm could come from telling Lilith?_ I considered.

Despite the fear of being expelled somewhat lifted from my shoulders, the fear of being judged by her, of her seeing me as the weak little coward everyone else did. The pride I still had was all that was holding me back, but it was all I had left of myself.

_Still…_

Something else compelled me to tell her, to put my trust in this young girl with hollow silver eyes I've known for barely 2 weeks.

"I...I messed up." I began.

"You see Lilith, I'm not...supposed...to be here," I said.

At that, Lilith pause for a second, blinking in mute surprise.

"...Well, that seems like a pretty deep existential idea Jaune. It's no wonder it brought you to tears" She quipped with a straight face.

"What?" I said, confused.

"I mean, the thought that you aren't where you're supposed to be, that you aren't doing what you felt you are destined for in life. Like you aren't doing what God ordained you to do in his grand plan…" She explained, trailing off with a long pause of thought.

"...Why," She finally continued, "It'd keep me up all night if I were you."

"What? No!" I exclaimed

"No, no, no. That's not what I meant" I continued, shaking my head.

" I meant, I'm not supposed to be at Beacon. You see I...I faked my transcripts. I never actually went to combat school." I explained finally

"I know." She said simply

And those two words were all it took to stop my entire thought process.

"You-wha-how?" I finally managed to ask after my brain rebooted, bewildered by the revelation that Lilith already knew I had faked my transcripts.

"Aunt Glynda told me," Lilith explained.

"She _knows_?!" I exclaimed again, alarmed by the revelation.

"Yup," Lilith answered, popping the p

"Then why haven't I been expelled yet?" I questioned my thoughts a whirlwind of chaos, everything I thought I had known being turned on its head.

"Oh, Aunt Glynda would love nothing more than to expel you from Beacon. _Unfortunately_ , Professor Ozpin _really_ wants you to stay." Lilith explained.

Then, after a pause, she added, "Or, well, _fortunately_ , I suppose in your case."

"He does?" I finally managed to say after picking my jaw up from off the ground.

"It seems like professor Ozpin knew all along, and even helped your illegitimate transcripts to make it through all the right channels so you would be admitted without issue." Lilith expounded, "Or, well, that's what Aunt Glynda thinks."

"So I'm safe?" I verified.

"Well, you're safe from getting expelled just because you used fake transcripts," Lilith answered

"Otherwise, you are probably in more danger than most, considering you never went to a combat school, and have little, if any, previous combat training," Lilith explained.

Those words brought back another pang of shame as I remembered the other details of my...fight...with Pyrrha. How she brought up my weakness, how she _pitied_ me.

"That said…" Lilith began, pulling from my thoughts

"That doesn't explain _why_ you told Pyrrha this, or why you were crying." She commented.

"Unless...she didn't approve?" She suggested with a tilt of her head "Maybe you tried to come clean to her, and she shunned you?"

 _What? No! That's not what happened!_ I thought, about to say something.

Before I could, however, she tilted her head the other way, and muttered, "Though, why you decided to go to _her_ first, while I had to track you down-"

"No, no, no. That's not what happened" I interjected before she could continue.

Lilith stopped, patiently waiting for me to explain with a watchful stare under her hood, and so, with a breath to steady myself for what I was about to do, I did.

"Ok, so….here's what happened." I began.

And over the next several minutes I explained everything while Lilith silently and patiently listened to me tell my tale. At some moments the still fresh memories bubbled up again, filling with emotion, sorrow, shame, and regret. They threatened to make me shed tears again, but I managed to keep it together as best I could.

"So, that's what happened," I concluded, my throat closing on me, my eyes stinging and watery.

I waited carefully and tentatively for Lilith's response to my whole confession.

At first, she did nothing. She just stood there in silence, her hood shading her face, making her even more unreadable than she normally was.

Then, she brought a hand up to her face, pinched the bridge of her nose, and let out a long, annoyed, sigh.

"Jaune. " She began her voice tense and coiled like an angry viper ready to strike with its venom loaded fangs.

I could feel her furious, stern, and disapproving glare from under her hood. Then she spoke again, with such vitriol and disappointment, I couldn't help but be reminded of a strong scolding from my parents, or worse, my eldest sister.

"ты идиот сука" she ground out.

* * *

**Pyrrha pov**

_It's all ruined_ I thought, tears still streaming down my face as I sat there in the darkness, my back propped up against a wall and my arms propped up on my knees before me.

I had been _so close_ , I had almost done it. I had a couple people I could consider friends, people who didn't treat me any different because of what I had done in tournaments. And that felt good, it felt good to not be so alone anymore.

And then I messed it all up.

 _I couldn't have just been happy with what I had, could I? I had to be greedy and try reach for more_ I chastised myself.

In my efforts to become closer with Jaune, I had made him hate me, burning that friendship into cinders.

As for Blake, I don't even know what I did. One day, Blake just started shunning me, giving me undisguised glares, and refusing to talk to me. It was so bad I didn't really feel comfortable sleeping in the room with her, and for the past couple days I had slept on the couch in the living room.

And then there's Lilith…

I'm not even sure if I ever was her friend. If I was, then knowing my luck, I've ruined that too.

_Maybe knowing what I've done to Jaune and Blake, she'll hate me too. Just like everyone else._

I had failed.

Miserably, and totally.

But never before had it ever hurt so much like this. Sure, I'd been injured before, gotten broken bones, gotten a scar or two, even almost lost an eye once or twice.

I'd even felt the sting of disappointment when I knew I let someone down or when I failed to meet expectations.

There was that, that sting of disappointment and failure, but there was something else too, something that hurt just as much, if not more.

And with that pain in my heart, came even more pressure in my head. My migraine had only grown stronger, and it was all I could do to keep from whimpering in pain. Each wave of pain blinding agony in my skull, disrupting my ability to think rationally, to think at all, really.

But I was shaken from wallowing my own pain and despair by the vibration of my scroll, telling me I got a message.

A spark of hope rose in me.

 _Maybe it's Jaune?_ I thought, pulling it out, _Maybe I didn't mess up as badly as I thought I did?_

But all those hopes came crashing down when I saw what I had received. In their place, rose a powerful all-consuming dread. My stress level's skyrocketed as my mind went blank with fear.

I had been sent a picture, and a location.

The location was for a secluded part of the school, near the edge of the campus.

But it was what the picture held that grabbed my attention.

It was a picture of a book lying on the ground. It was a black, leather bound book, with many scratches, wears, and tears to show its age and use, as well as a bronze lock on it. It was nice and thick, and well crafted. But more importantly, it was more than just a book.

It was a journal

 _My_ journal.

The one I had used all my life. The one that held nearly all my darkest secrets.

The one that had been taken from my locker at the start of the semester.

_No…_

* * *

**Jaune pov**

I wanted to shrink down to the size of a mouse and hide myself in some tiny corner far from here.

All because of Lilith.

Well…

Probably all because of me, actually.

Lilith was…ranting…something. I have no idea what she was actually saying, but it sure as hell wasn't English or any other language I knew of.

Not that I was an expert on the matter.

Still, despite the language barrier, I could still understand that Lilith was very unhappy, and at least a little frustrated. And considered she was usually about as emotional as a cold rock, that was saying something. In fact, it only made it worse.

I mean, when you manage to rile someone up like Lilith up, to get someone like her to be disappointed in you, you know you've fucked up somewhere.

Finally, after what felt like hours of getting berated by her, she finally stopped. Huffing from the amount of ranting she did, she paused to give me a disapproving frown. Which, as soul crushing as it was, gave me enough time to get a word in edgewise.

"Uh…what?" I asked, honestly not knowing what else to say.

She groaned loudly, looking up to the starry night sky for a moment, before looking back down to me, and despite her hood shadowing her face, I swear I could see one of her silver eyes glowing through the darkness.

"Jaune…" She began, her voice tense with displeasure. "You are _astoundingly_ stupid."

"Wha…" I managed to say, dumbfounded at her blunt honesty, my jaw agape, and my eyes wide.

"Like…I don't even know where to begin." She continued, and I got the feeling she was just going to be giving me her rant again, this time in English.

Which meant I could defend myself.

"Are you talking about what I told Pyrrha?" I asked, venturing a guess as to why she was so annoyed.

Or, at least, try to.

" _No._ " she said, exasperated.

 _What_ I thought.

If that wasn't it…then I don't really know what else I did wrong.

"Coming clean to Pyrrha might have actually been the smartest thing you did." She added.

"Then…what did I do?" I asked slowly, bewildered.

"You're so incredibly dense you don't even know. Wow." She deadpanned

Then she stopped, letting out a loud angry breath through her nose, before turning back to me.

"Here's the problem Jaune, here's what you did that was so incredibly stupid and prideful." She began, looking me in the eye.

"You Jaune, are weak, incredibly so. Frankly, all you have going for you is your absurdly large and strong Aura, and you're finely crafted weapons and armor. If you didn't have that, you would be doomed to die before the end of the semester." She bluntly explained

"Fortunately, you do, so your death will likely have to wait until the end of the year."

That…hurt. A lot.

Part of it was because deep down, I knew she was right. In fact, I actually had many of those same fears. I just tried to tell myself I was being paranoid.

But…at the same time, unlike nearly everyone else I knew who had ever brought it up, there wasn't an ounce of pity in Lilith. She wasn't treating me like a weak coward that needed a helping hand, that was so sad and weak he needed you pity to get through life.

But it also meant she wasn't pulling her punches.

"I know." I murmured, looking down.

"No, you don't. Because if you did, you wouldn't have been a prideful idiot." She shot out.

"Huh?" I said, looking up at her confused.

"Jaune, as I said, you are weak. There is nothing wrong with that, in it of itself. Nobody is strong all the time, nobody is _born_ strong. We _become_ strong." She began

"Now, many people don't seek strength by learning to fight, they seek it elsewhere and in different ways. Many don't even seek strength, simply a means to survive, to live. And that's fine, it's their choice to remain weak. There's nothing wrong with a Painter wanting to paint, rather than learn how to fight."

"But _you_ , on the other hand, are a different matter." She said venomously

"Pyrrha practically _handed_ a chance for you to get stronger on a silver platter to you, and you spat in her face, told her to "fuck off", and probably made her feel like shit while you did it." She explained

"But what I find inexcusable about that, is the fact she gave you a chance to get stronger, a chance almost anyone else would _kill for_ , and you threw it away for _pride_." She seethed

"I-" I began, trying to defend myself.

"No, shut up." She interjected, not having it.

"You don't get to have your cake and eat it too Jaune. You don't get to get strong like you want to, and do it all be yourself, all while holding onto your pride the whole time. You're weak, which means your going to need help from the strong."

"You can't just go into the forest hitting trees with your sword all day Jaune, you aren't learning how to be a woodcutter. You're learning how to kill Grimm."

"Which is another thing. You apparently had the intelligence required to know that going to Beacon would help make you strong, but somehow along the way you didn't actually _think_ about what that meant."

"What, did you think you would just _magically_ get stronger as the years went by? That it wouldn't take blood, sweat, and tears? That you wouldn't be taught by teachers, and need help from them?" She asked.

"Or is it that in your mind, getting taught by a teacher is better than getting taught by someone your own age? Do you find that embarrassing? Is it that she's a girl? And you don't want to admit that she's stronger than you?" She pressed.

"No!" I interjected

That wasn't it. Right?

"I-I just…" I began, trying to find my voice again,

"I just wanted to be a hero. I'm tired of getting saved." I admitted again, too ashamed to look her in the eye.

I had been so weak for so long. Looked down on by so many people. I had always been helped, pitied, coddled, and saved. And I was sick of it. I couldn't take it anymore. I wanted to show them all I could be strong too. I wanted to save people. I wanted to be useful. I finally wanted to be the hero.

"Well too bad Jaune, that's not how it works." She bluntly said, shattering my thoughts and dreams.

"You are a weak piece of garbage right now. Maybe eventually, you can be that hero you want to be, but until then, you're going to have to work for it, and that means sucking it up, throwing out your incredibly massive ego, and doing what you have to do." She explained.

"I…you wouldn't understand." I countered, grasping at straws in an attempt to preserve my own perception of the world.

"Oh? I wouldn't" She challenged. And with that, she pulled her hood down and revealed her face.

Her horribly burned face.

It was also now quite clear why I could only see one eye glowing in the darkness. That's because she only _had_ one eye.

"Ruby, wha-?" I tried to say, but I just couldn't find the words.

I was both disgusted and horrified by what I saw. I wanted to turn away, to look at anything other than her disfigured face, but I found I couldn't.

"This, happened because _I_ am weak Jaune. It was a training accident, a little explosion. Something someone with Aura like yours would have weathered like it was nothing. It would have exploded in your face, and you could have just walked away and laughed it off." She began to explain.

"I, on the other hand, cannot. My aura can't protect me Jaune, not really. If I ever get hit, I will get hurt, _badly_. I cannot afford to simply be good, I have to be at the top of my game because one mistake will cost me dearly."

"Fortunately, my Aura isn't completely useless, and almost always be able to heal me. It will usually give me a second chance most wouldn't get. So, by the end of the week, it should look like nothing ever happened. I'll probably have grown my right eye back by tomorrow." She explained, getting slightly off track as she looked up

"But that's not the point, Jaune. The point is, that I'm weak too. I know weakness very well, and am intimately familiar with being so weak you can't even save yourself." She said, turning back to me.

"And a part of me will never be strong. In addition, I'm sure you can tell I'm not the most physically fit and capable person. I'm not big and strong like Pyrrha is." She said, gesturing to her small body.

"So yes Jaune, I know what it's like to be weak, and in some ways, I will never be strong. But, instead of whining about it, or blaming someone else about, or just accepting defeat, I adapted. I did what I could, what I had to do, to get the strength I so desired."

"The fact is Jaune, beggars can't be choosers. And if you want power, you have to chase after it and work for it. It won't always just be handed to you." She finished.

"So…" I began, still a little dazed from Lilith's rant, and her making my delusional reality come crashing down around me.

"What are you saying?"

She sighed loudly, once more pinching the bridge of her nose, before saying, "I'm saying you need to accept Pyrrha's offer and let one of the strongest, most well trained, and experienced individuals in the school help you get stronger."

Then, she paused.

"You should probably apologize to her first, though." She added, almost as an afterthought.

Now it was my turn to sigh, though this time in resignation.

She was right. 100% right. I couldn't afford to be picky about how I got strong, especially when someone like Pyrrha is _offering_ to help.

Not to mention, now that Lilith had cleared my head of all my emotional pride, I could see I was kind of an asshole to Pyrrha. And I was even more of an asshole for not even realizing it, and just thinking of myself.

"Ok...you're right," I said, looking down at the ground

"I need to go talk to Pyrrha," I admitted.

 _But_ I began to think, realizing a problem.

_I have to find her first_

* * *

**Pyrrha pov**

_Where is it?_ I thought, searching frantically for my journal.

I had arrived at the location sent to me, but my journal was nowhere in sight. So, panicking, I went looking for it. As each second went by without its discovery, my headache only grew stronger, and more agonizing. It was like a loud drum was thundering inside my head, going-

_Thuum…...Thuum…...Thuum…..._

I could feel my heart racing from the stress I was under, my body and mind straining over it all. But I was pulled from my thoughts by two sounds.

Footsteps…

And laughing.

"Wow, never I thought I'd see something like this. At least, not yet. This thing must mean a lot to you, huh?" A confident male voice chuckled from behind me.

I got up and spun around to see who said that, and was met with a somewhat surprising sight.

There were four boys, standing there at the edge of the light in this darkness, all of them surrounding me. They all had various hairstyles, colors, and were wearing the school uniform for freshmen, but the only one that mattered to me was the tall one in the middle. He had short brown hair, an arrogant smirk on his face, and held in one of his massive hands was a thick, black, leather-bound book.

My Journal.

Then I recognized him. I recognized all of them. It was Cardin Winchester, and his team, CRDL.

"C-Cardin?" I asked, "W-what is this?"

Seeing that book in his hands just made my migraine explode in agony again, creating blinding detonations of pain inside my skull.

_THUUM….THUUM…..THUUM_

It was so bad I could barely talk, let alone think.

"What, this?" He chuckled, gesturing to his smirking comrades.

"I just found something of yours, and thought we should have a nice little meeting about it." He explained.

"Found?" I questioned, not believing him.

 _He and his team must have been the ones to raid my locker_ I realized.

"Yeah, and when I read what was inside, I knew it must have been yours."

"Y-you read it?" I questioned, stunned.

 _No no no. This is bad. This is incredibly bad, this was absolutely apocalyptic._ I thought panic and fear flooding my mind, I'm addition to the stress _already_ there.

"Oh yeah. And, man, does it have some juicy stuff. Real dark secrets in here Pyrrha. I mean, everyone would be shocked to learn about what was in here." He said as he patted the book in his hands, affirming my darkest fears.

"No! Please." I shouted, begging them not to. The things in that book could _destroy_ everything I had spent the last several years trying to build.

At my words, they all gave each over smug, confident smiles.

"Okay," Cardin said with a smile.

"But I think we deserve something for being such good friends, after all, you owe us for this, you owe us _big_." He added, his smirking smirk turning predatory.

As he spoke, and the realization of where this was going sunk in, that stress, that pressure, that thundering in my mind grew once more. It was now more than agony, more than just pain, than fear and despair.

It felt like something was clawing through my mind, tearing through it and ripping it apart from the inside out.

Like something was growing inside my mind, a pressure building inside, trying to burst out and break me. Like my own psyche was crumbling to pieces under the strain. Like I was falling apart at the seams under all this tension trying to tear me apart inside.

It was more than I could take, and I couldn't help but clutch my head and groan my head in agony. I grit my teeth together so hard I could practically feel then crack under the pressure.

_**THUUM…...THUUM…...THUUM** _

As my ability to perceive and process the world slowly deteriorated from the painfully thumping pressure in my mind, I heard one last thing.

"Are you even listening to me, bitch?" a voice said, just barely able to cut through the static.

I wanted to respond, I wanted to act, to do _something._ But I couldn't all I could do was clutch my head in agony as my world fell apart.

Then, something rocked me, something _real._ A strong blow crashed into the side of my face, slamming into my jaw, and sending my head swinging to the side. Pain, both inside and outside, filled me, and the scent and taste of blood filled my mouth and my mind.

Then…

I broke.

No, I shattered.

My mind split open under the strain, the blow and the blood being the final straw. Everything fell to pieces and was cast adrift.

As everything fell into a black void of nothingness, I only had one final thought.

_Make it stop_

* * *

**Cardin pov**

Things had been going all according to plan.

We had raided the "Invincible Girl's" locker when we found out that she wasn't coming back. I thought it would be a great chance to get some merchandise from the apparently dead star.

Then we found her diary, and later it turned out that she was still alive.

While on the one hand, that might have been a bad thing, it also meant we had an incredible opportunity here.

We couldn't actually get the diary open, the lock was uncrackable, and it didn't even seem to have a keyhole. When we tried to bust it open, the pages started to glow orange and the book began to heat up.

Obviously, it was some kind of fancy security system, one that would probably blow the book up or something if we opened it wrong.

But, on further thought, that didn't matter. Judging by the lengths she went to keep it secret, there was some pretty juicy stuff in here. Stuff we could use to blackmail her.

Stuff so bad we probably didn't even need to even to _actually_ open it to threaten her. We just needed her to _think_ we had read it, and then blackmail her with that.

Then we'd make her do something illegal or embarrassing or something, some _real_ blackmail. We'd use that to make her open her diary, and we'd know every dirty secret about her.

And from there, she'd be our little servant, our little slave for life. The champion of Mistral, under our thumb, under _my_ thumb.

And we made the perfect plan to make it happen.

And it all went great. Turns out the "Invincible Girl" was actually pretty docile. She looked completely devastated, didn't really seem to be putting up a fight either. At this rate, we might actually very able to get to the fun stuff sooner than I thought.

But then, something happened. As I was talking she had some kind of freak out. She just clutched her head in agony, not even looking at me.

And that made me mad.

"Hey bitch, are you even listening?" I questioned, shouting at her to get her attention.

But still, she didn't do anything.

"Hey Cardin, you think something's wrong with her?" Russell asked me, looking at her a bit nervously.

I scoffed at his statement.

"It doesn't matter if she is or isn't. Just like dad says. Sometimes you need to be nice, but firm. And sometimes you need to show them who's boss. Either way, it's all about who's on top, and who's the bitch." I explained, walking up to the dumb bitch in question.

It looked like there was going to be a change of plans, considering how unresponsive she was being. It passed me off seeing her ignoring me like that, and I was going to teach her a lesson she would never forgot.

As I towered over her hunched form, I smirked at the thought of what I was about to do.

I reared back my right arm, before throwing a strong haymaker right at her face, twisting her face to the side and knocking her back a bit.

Feeling something wet on my hand, I looked down to see blood on my fist. Surprised, I looked back up at Pyrrha to see her staring at the ground, stunned from what I had done, and bleeding from her lips.

 _She's bleeding?_ I thought, confused.

Her aura should have blocked part of that blow. I mean, it would have hurt like hell probably, but wouldn't have been able to do enough damage to her to make her _bleed_.

Then, I smirked again.

 _I guess that just means she's weak right now. This is the perfect chance._ I thought.

her, plain and simple. But now she was vulnerable. It'd be even easier to take her down.

And when she was beaten, broken, and probably unconscious, that's when we'd take advantage of her. We'd stripped her down, take pictures of her naked and bruised. We might even take it even farther, have some fun with her if we felt in the mood.

Then we'd have that blackmail, and she'd be right in the palm of my hands.

 _But first, we have to teach this dumb bitch a lesson_.

Before I could think about it any further, I was pulled from my thoughts by the sound of Pyrrha spitting a thick global of blood onto the ground. One that included a…

 _...is that a tooth?_ I wondered

As she wiped the blood from her mouth with the back of her hand, her emerald eyes fluted around taking everything in around with a certain sharpness that wasn't there before. Then, those eyes locked onto my own, and the feeling I felt from looking straight at her now was...indescribable.

Her once bright emerald eyes filled with fear and uncertainty, had darkened to near blackness, and were filled with a razor sharp focus that was unsettling to look at.

Then, just as fast as she looked at me, she glanced away, looking at something else.

 _What is up with this girl?_ I wondered, bewildered by her strange behavior.

Then I shook my head.

 _I'm not going to let some crazy fucking bitch spook me._ I thought with resolve taking hold within me.

So I turned to Russell and said with a smile, "Hey Russell. Why don't you take a swing at the dumb bitch?"

"Uh. I don't know Cardin." He said uncertainly, Pyrrha's strange behavior unsettling him.

I almost wanted to groan. Russell was weak willed and easy enough to cow, it just got annoying constantly having to deal with him second guessing me with his hesitation. That's one of the reasons I wanted to Russell to take a swing at her. It would help bring him under my authority more, to make him see things my way. The more he did it, the more he'd get used to it.

I didn't want to have to beat up my own teammates, but if I had to retain absolute control, I would.

"Come on Russell. It'll be fine. The bitch has it coming. Sides, we need to set an example." I said, walking over to him and slinging an arm around his shoulder.

"Just give her a nice strong hook, punch her straight in the face. Put your all into, though, don't hold back." I said as pushed him toward Pyrrha.

I could see one his face the way he was being swayed over to my side. His resolve growing as he committed to it.

"Ok Cardin." He said, nodding as he flashed me a confident smile, one I returned with a pleased one.

So, turning back to Pyrrha, he reared back a fist, and charged forward, aiming to throw a haymaker at her face.

But, as he approached her, her head snapped to him, her eyes narrowed into focused slits roiling fury, and suddenly everything changed. As time seemed to slow to a crawl, I couldn't help but feel like I was in the presence of an apex predator.

And that's where it all went wrong.

* * *

**? Pov**

… _Strange…_ I thought.

My first thought, really.

I was…awake…again.

I didn't really have a fantastic sense of time when I was…asleep, but it still felt like I had been out for an eternity. Like I had risen from the dead.

 _Wait…that's not…entirely…right._ I thought, remembering a glimpse of time when I arose for a few minutes. It wasn't long, and I didn't really take too much in due to the circumstances, but I was awake. But that felt different, like I was kind of in a haze and like everything was in a chaotic buzz.

This was different.

The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth and nose, rousing old memories from their slumber. It wasn't just any blood, it was _my_ blood. A taste I was intimately familiar with. Waking up with the taste of my own blood in my mouth or the scent of blood in the air was nothing new. If anything, it was comfortingly normal. As if it was the universe was saying that as different as things were, some things never change.

After I noticed the blood, however, I noticed the pain in my jaw. Again, nothing new there. I was rather intimately familiar pain. What was a little odd was the loose tooth in my mouth, my tooth, most likely.

It wasn't explicitly unprecedented, just…different.

Then again, I've woken up to being stabbed with a sword before, so having a loose tooth wasn't very concerning.

Without wasting much time I spat the tooth out, along with the blood that had collected in my mouth.

Now that that was taken care of, it was time to figure out what the hell was going on. So, I opened my eyes and looked around.

… _huh…_ I thought in mute surprise.

There were a lot of things I was expecting. This wasn't one of them.

It was night, and off to the right, I could see a forest and the edge of a cliff, with the shattered moon of Remnant hanging over it. To the left, however, was a series of buildings of the same general architectural theme, including a rather tall black clock tower. Not that I was the biggest expert of the country, but it certainly didn't _seem_ like I was back in Mistral, which was odd.

Not sure what I was doing outside of Mistral, but that wasn't really my immediate concern.

What _was_ a little more concerning was the four boys standing before me. They were all about 16-18, maybe 20 at the oldest, if I had to guess, and they were all wearing what looked like a school uniform.

 _Maybe I'm at some kind of school?_ I considered.

 _I guess that would make sense. He did want me in school. This might be some higher level foreign school_. I thought.

As I looked around I noted that it was just the five of us here and that we seemed to be in a pretty secluded spot. The fact that the boys seemed to be surrounding me didn't escape me either.

I looked them all over, but only one really stood out to me. He had short brown hair, lightly tanned, but mostly pale, skin, and was taller and more muscular than the others. I caught his brown eyes for a moment, and saw the most momentary flinch in him, before it was replaced with brash confidence and a touch of irritation.

Then I moved on, looking over the others and taking in the rest of my surroundings in more detail, trying to discern more clues about where I was, and what was going on. In the background, I vaguely registered some voices saying something.

Then, I was torn from my thoughts when I saw out of the corner of my eye a flash of movement and felt an aggressive twist in the aura of one of the boys.

Snapping my head to the one approaching me, one of the more unimpressive ones, I saw him running at me with a fist pulled back.

In that instant, everything changed.

They were no longer considered _potential threats_ , he was now an _enemy_ , and that changed everything.

I could feel my heart begin to beat faster, furiously pumping blood through my body as adrenaline surged through my system. My mind kicked into overdrive and everything began to slow to a crawl. My muscles became tense in anticipation, and my eyes focused on every aspect of his person.

As he closed in on me, I mentally designated all four boys as E1, E2, E3, and E4, with E1 being the one coming at me, and E4 being the large boy staying back and looking at me with a smug smirk.

Then, once the boy came close enough, throwing his fist forward in an undisciplined form, I made my move.

I shot my left arm forward, grabbing onto the boys outstretched wrist, twisted it, and pulled it forward and away from me. In that same instant, I focused the aura around my arm, narrowing it and condensing it, before slinging it forward in a vicious lightning fast right hook.

My fist slammed into the side of his face, with the focusing of my aura enhancing the effect of the punch and allowing more force to punch through his own aura. His head snapped to the side, and I could _feel_ the tiny cracks develop in his jaw from the impact.

Without giving him the chance to retaliate, I followed through with a reverse elbow in the face again, once again focusing the aura around my elbow to give it added impact. It snapped his head back the other way, just as fast, and cracked his jaw even more.

Stunned, he was helpless as I seamlessly snapped his wrist with my left hand, before letting go of it and grabbing hold of the back of his neck with both hands. Then, I brought it plunging down, as I sent my knee driving upwards into his chest.

Specifically, his liver.

The aura enhanced knee crashed into his aura, pushed it forward, plunging into his chest, caving it inwards as it slammed into his liver. Upon contact, I could feel his body spasm in agonizing pain from the blow, but even still, I didn't relent.

I hit again and again, kneeing him in the liver over and over, 4 times in a row, before changing it up. Releasing his neck, I grabbed onto his head, before slamming his face straight into my knee, breaking his nose.

When I released him, he stumbled back, stunned and dazed from the pain and having his head treated like a punching bag. His brain was no doubt sloshing around inside his skull. Aura or no, concussions could still happen, and they could still be debilitating.

Seeing he was on the ropes, and feeling that his aura was significantly drained, I decided to end it.

Snapping a roundhouse kick directly at his head, rocking his skull again, I followed through with a leg sweep. As he crashed to the ground, I switched positions again. With him laid out before me, helpless to do anything, and his aura almost gone, I raised my right leg and prepared my finishing blow. I focused my aura in the heel of my foot to a razor's edge, condensing and solidifying it enough to make my aura actually a little visible on it, I swung it down in a devastating axe-kick.

One aimed directly at his neck.

The blow would crush his neck, aura or no. There was even the distinct chance that the severity of the blow would cause it to explode in a small shower of gore, like slamming a sledgehammer into a watermelon.

 _And with this blow, I end your life_ I thought with absolute certainty, and not even a trace of regret or remorse.

I was going to kill him. That was what I did to my enemies, to my opponents. That's who I was, and how I was always taught. To end your opponent, forever.

But, as those thoughts ran through my mind, as my intent to kill him solidified within my soul, time slowed to a near stop, a pang of pain echoed in my head, and a shadowed memory was brought into the light.

" _That was a request, this is an order,_ _do not kill anyone at school_ _. Understood?"_ His voice echoed in my mind.

I blinked.

… _Orders are orders._ I sighed mentally

So, I shifted my attack ever so slightly, aiming just a little higher on his body.

And so, my foot crashed down on his face like a freight train. The force was so great that it cratered the ground below his head with a loud _crack_ , throwing debris into the air. It pushed through, then shattered his aura. I could feel it as his skull cracked, fractured, and broke under the tremendous pressure of my foot. I could feel it as his left eye popped under my heel like an overripe grape, covering my foot in it's wet, bloody, remains.

But, he wasn't dead.

He was almost dead, on the edge of life really, but he would live. His Aura would help, even in its now dormant state. It would keep him alive. Even if he would never fully recover.

Retracting my foot from his dented face, I took a moment to reflect on the situation with a sigh.

 _Well, this complicates matters._ I thought.

I was never terribly good at the whole "not kill" thing, that and "holding back". It's mainly because it completely went against the way I had lived before he took me. Rarely did I encounter days where I was supposed to let my opponent end the match still breathing, and even rarer was it that they were supposed to be able to actually fight me again.

It was really a kill or be killed life. That said, I grew to like it, in a way. It was simple, and it was what I was good at.

Still, "adapt or die", as they say. And I **Refused** to die.

I would adapt to his will. Even if it was the hardest thing I had ever done.

I was pulled from my thoughts when I noticed that E2 had attempted to sneak up behind me, and was now delivering a roundhouse kick of his own to my back, all while E3 charged me from the front.

With these movements, E2 and 3 sealed their fates, as they now became my opponents as well.

Still, E2 would hit me before E3 got to me, meaning I had time to counterattack him first, then E3.

So, spinning around, I caught E2's foot with my left arm, clutching with an iron grip. At the same time, I slammed an elbow into his knee. The aura enhanced blow hit the joint like a sledgehammer, the sheer force of it bypassing his aura. I could feel his knee shatter under the pressure of my elbow, as well as the numerous bursting blood veins.

Then, seamlessly following through, I pulled him forward with my left arm and reared it back. As he flew toward me in slow motion, I could see the look on his face, the combination of shock, agony, and terror all mixed into one. If I was a certain type of person, I might have found pleasure in it. As it was, seeing the fear in his eyes only gave me the satisfaction of knowing that he wasn't going to surprise me some hidden weapon or semblance.

So, continuing my counter attack, I threw a powerful haymaker into the side of his head, right into his ear. The impact crushed his ear, and cracked the side of his skull, before the change of momentum took place, and it slammed his head into the concrete below him. It crashed into the ground with another _Crack_ , blood pouring from the mangled mess that was his right ear.

Instead of taking the time to admire that damage, I elected to deal with E3.

Ducking down under his punch, I gave him a strong right elbow straight to the gut, specifically the solar plexus. The powerful strike to the nerve cluster knocked the wind out of him and caused him to be paralyzed in pain. I transitioned from my reverse elbow into grabbing hold of his right arm outstretched above me, and flipping him over me.

I threw him onto the ground using his arm for leverage, and then, in one seamless motion, I broke his arm by bending it completely backward at the elbow, breaking the joint and shattering bone with a _snap_.

As he lay there spasming and shouting in agony, I moved back to E2, who was cradling his injured knee in an attempt to relieve his pain. I stomped on said joint _hard_ , crushing what remained of his knee into little more than blood and dust. As he howled again in pain, I silenced him with a hard swift kick to the left side of his head, crushing his other ear and turning it into another bloody mess.

With each move I made, with each strike I launched, I could feel my heart race, my blood pumping through my body. I felt something inside me stirring, roiling with fury. As if it had been restrained for so long, and now it finally got to be free.

I turned back to E3, I saw that he had managed to get up, and had managed to fight through the pain enough to try and strike back at me. He charged me again, this time with his left arm leading.

 _It looks like he hasn't learned his lesson._ I thought.

I ducked down and slammed my shoulder into his chest as I wrapped my arms around him. I picked him up and threw him onto the ground with me on top of him. I gave him a quick punch to the face to stun him, before grabbing hold of his right arm again, and getting up off him. I planted a foot on his chest, twisted his right arm, and _pulled_.

The bones, tendons, and muscles in his elbow had been ruined by both me snapping it back, and now by me twisting it far beyond what it should twist. There was little keeping it in place other than the remaining muscles, skin, and tendons. Combined with what remained of his aura, it was strong.

But I was stronger.

I formed a determined and grisly grimace as I bared my grit teeth at him, pulling his arm as hard as I could. I could feel the skin, muscle, and tendons stretch as they tried their hardest to resist. I could feel, and even hear all the joints in his arm and shoulder go _pop_ as they dislocated under the strain. The boy under my foot _screamed_ in agony, begging me to stop, going-

"No! No, please! Stop! **STOP!** " He yelled at the top of his lungs in agony.

Then, with a wet, gory, _Snap!_ , his arm finally gave in.

I tore his right arm in half at the elbow, blood pouring out from the wound on both sides, splattering both of us with it. Pieces of gore flew out from the joint as it was finally ripped apart, and the side I was holding snapped back to me, no longer held back by the rest of his arm.

The boy himself was still screaming from the pain of having his arm ripped off. It was now unintelligible hollering, and more importantly, annoying.

 _Shut up._ I thought, his screams giving me a headache.

 _SHUT UP!_ I thought again, silencing his screams with a powerful stomp on his face, strong enough to plant his head _into_ the pavement beneath him.

I stood over him, looking down at his now unconscious and broken form. He was alive, and his aura was still there. Enough to keep him from bleeding out. But there were other concerns.

 _What was that?_ I questioned, calming down slightly.

I was stronger now. I lot stronger. When I was last awake I shouldn't have been strong enough to tear his arm off. Cut it off, sure, but to literally rip it off?

And actually, now that I thought about it, I felt taller than before too. But that wasn't my biggest concern.

I felt this…underlying fury, something I thought I had conquered long ago. Whenever I fought I always felt it, the fury of combat, the blood pumping through my veins, primal urge to go berserk. It was something that had been, quite literally, beaten out of my head at an early age. Losing myself to my primal instincts was a good way to get killed.

I needed to be calm and in control at all times, lest I leave myself vulnerable.

It worked, to a degree, and I managed to control and focus my rage, like a shaped charge explosive, or a laser.

But this? The way I tore his arm off? The things I felt as I did it?

 _This is disconcerting_ I thought with a frown.

The rage inside felt stronger than it ever did before. It felt like something was roaring inside, screaming in my ear for me to just tear everything limb from limb. It wanted to kill, murder, rampage, and lose itself in the joys of endless combat.

And it meant I was going to need to find a way to tame it again. I _need_ my control over myself. It was a part of who I was. And I _refused_ to lose myself to my basest desires.

I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard the sound of screeching metal to my left.

Turning, I saw the last one, E4, rip a pipe out of the ground and out of the rest of its mounting. As it tore free of the ground, a large clump of concrete remained imbedded in it, giving the boy a makeshift mace in his hands.

"I'm going to make you pay you fucking bitch!" He shouted at me, fury in his burning brown eyes.

This one was different. His aura was stronger and more aggressive. The others had an awakened aura, but while I was fighting them it wasn't active. In aura's passive mode, it could still protect and heal, but it was less effective and took no conscious thought to be in effect. While active, however, it was more effective and you could micro manage it, making it more effective defensively, offensively, or focus where its effects would be.

Judging by the way it was radiating off him, it was active, but unfocused.

It meant he was more of a threat, but probably not a true danger.

Still, it was best to take him seriously. As I learned very early on in life, even a child can kill a man if the cards fall in all the right spots.

So, roaring at me once more, he charged at me with his makeshift mace.

I rolled under his first swing, before springing up and delivering a strong kick to the back of his knee. It wasn't nearly as devastating as my elbow was to E2, but it didn't need to be. I wasn't planning on taking this giant down in just one or two blows. I would whittle him down until he crumbled.

So, pulling back, I ducked under another angry swing as he spun around again.

"Stop moving bitch, and let me just hit you!" He yelled in frustration.

I spun around a downward swing of the pipe, dodging it as it impacted the ground hard enough to make a small crater. As I did, I countered with spinning back kick to the same knee. Once again, his aura managed to cushion most of the blow, but I knew it was taking its toll on him.

Growling at me in rage, he lifted the pipe up off the ground and swung it up at me. I dodged it effortlessly by simply leaning out of the way, and backpedaled out of his range.

"Get back here Bitch! Stop running away!" He roared, swinging at me wildly.

But I dodged every swing, waiting for the right time to strike. Then, it came.

He over extended a swing, putting himself slightly off balance, giving me an opening.

Taking it, I delivered a punishing roundhouse kick to the same knee again. It wasn't enough to truly break his knee, but judging by how he screamed in pain and fell to one knee, it was enough to at least fracture it.

He looked toward me, glaring at me with enough hatred and murder in his eyes to make a lesser person flinch. He snarled, "fuck you!", at me, the only way he could actually strike back at me.

Not that it even meant anything to me really.

He managed to pull himself back up to his feet, before fully turning the rest of his body to me. He was limping on his injured knee heavily, the pain it was in obvious. He was also panting, exhausted from all the fruitless swinging he had done earlier. After all, it took more energy to swing and miss, than hit.

So he was tired and injured. His mobility was shot, and his technique destroyed.

He was vulnerable.

And so, I decided to finally go on the offensive.

Gripping the severed arm still in my hands, I threw it at his face. Surprised by the action, he tried to bat it away, leaving him a massive opening as he shielded his face. I charged forward and shoved my fist into his gut, punching him straight in the kidney. The powerful blow forced the air from his lungs.

Still, he managed to recover enough to take a wild, angry, swing at me. Instead of dodging it this time, I caught is wrist as he swung at me, blocking it. Then, I twisted his wrist, _hard_ , painfully snapping it. As ra reflex, he let go of the pipe as he shouted in pain.

Instead of falling to the ground, I caught the pipe in the air with my semblance, polarity. Using my control over magnetism, I threw the pipe to my right hand, which was now free from E4's gut. Catching it high in the air over my head, I looked into the boy's eyes before I struck.

They were no longer filled with that confidence from when I first saw him, nor the same rage as he had from a few seconds ago. They still held anger, but now they also held pain, surprise, and fear. Lots of fear.

But I didn't care. I would finish this on my terms.

So, I swung down with the pipe, the rocky side of it slamming into the boy's neck. He aura managed to buff most of the blow, it still did its damage. On the backswing I hit him on the left side of the face, snapping his head to the side. With each blow, I hit him so hard some of the concrete stuck to the end of the makeshift mace fell away.

Then, I came down again, hitting him on the right side of his face and snapping his head the other direction. I followed through with a devastating uppercut to the chin using the pipe. On the return of the swing, I spun around, gaining energy through the centrifugal force of the swing, before smashing it into the front of his face.

It hit him so hard that the concrete on the end of the pipe completely shattered and broke on his face, crumbling away from the metal pipe. The blow held so much force, it was enough to break his nose through his aura, and send him flying backwards. He spun as he fell, landing on his chest. As he flew through the air for the briefest of moments, a silver rectangular object flew out of his pocket and clattered to the ground in front of him.

Groaning and cursing in pain, he looked toward the source of the sound. When he saw it, a glimmer of hope twinkled in his eyes, and he began crawling to it.

Seeing that he was still conscious, and mostly in one piece, I decided to put an end to this.

 _But how?_ I wondered.

I couldn't kill him, so I couldn't end him completely. But I also knew that he could be a threat to me later on. I saw the burning hate within him, how much he hated me, wanted to make me suffer. That hate probably wouldn't be going anywhere, and would instead fester inside him until he finally came at me again. He would endlessly try to bring me down and take me out.

Unfortunately, since he had to live, I couldn't do much about that.

Then, as I looked at him crawling away from me, staring at his back as I held the broken pipe in my hands, a thought struck me.

 _Yes…_ I thought _That could work_

So I walked up to him, stopped his crawling by planting one foot on his back, raised my right arm.

"What are you doing?!" E4 questioned fearfully, "Get off me!"

I ignored him as I focused my semblance on the metal rod in my hands. I enveloped it and held it in a magnetic field in my hands, before causing it to spin rapidly. Then, manipulating the magnetic fields again, I forced the metal pipe to heat up enough to glow red hot. Then, I finished by shooting the rod with my semblance at insane speeds at his back.

The metal rod flew at such great speed and with such incredible force that it shattered his aura, speared through his back, and imbedded itself in the concrete floor beneath him, pinning him there. But, I was careful in my aim. I didn't shoot that rod just anywhere. I hit him directly in the lower spine, destroying it at the base of his back. The damage done was irreparable, and it would leave him paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life unless he got expensive cybernetic prosthetics. But, even if he did, he would never be a serious threat to me again, not that he really was here.

E4 screamed in agony from the attack, launching a loud string of expletives from his pain. The unpleasant sound was matched by the unpleasant smell of burning flesh as the red hot rod cauterized all the bleeding wounds it had caused. The whole thing was exacerbating the massive headache I already had, and I was not in the mood for his crying.

So I crouched down next to his head and gripped him by the back of his skull. Instantly, he stopped thrashing around and froze in silent, whimpering, terror.

"You're too loud," I said to him quietly in his ear.

Then, without another word, I slammed his face into the concrete, again and again, until he stopped moving.

He was still alive, of that I made sure, but he was finally unconscious, which meant he would finally shut up.

I stood up and looked around and the aftermath of the little skirmish I had with the four boys. It wasn't particularly hard, but it was a little insightful. Wherever I was, it was a place with a lot of people who had their Aura awakened. A hunter academy of some kind, if I had to guess. It made sense, as he did send me to a combat school while I was last awake. A hunter academy was the next logical step.

 _And on that note_ I thought, walking up to darkened window, _how much time has passed._

When I finally stood in front of it, I couldn't help but be a little surprised at my reflection.

… _huh…_ I thought in mute surprise.

Apparently a lot of time had passed. Years, if the reflection was any indication. If I had to guess, I would say I was about 18. Compared to 13 when I was last awake. I was also a lot taller, probably around 6'8" or so. I had also gotten more…feminine…growing curves and such.

 _These are new_ I thought, poking the inert mounds of flesh that had grown on my chest.

 _Can't say I really approve_ I added with a frown.

Then, I noticed something else in the reflection. Something…weird.

 _Green?_ I silently questioned.

My eyes were green. A dark emerald green. That was…strange.

 _Why are they green?_ I wondered, a little freaked out by that.

My hair was still blood red, my face still looked mostly the same, just older and more…beautiful…I suppose. But my eyes were green.

 _Maybe…_ I considered, before testing it.

Raising a finger up to my eye, I successfully pulled a contact lens from my left eye.

And once I did, it revealed that under the lens my eyes were a dark, bloody, crimson.

 _Ah, that's better_ I thought, comforted by the sight of my familiar scarlet eyes.

As I looked down at the green tinted lenses, I could only wonder why I was wearing them.

 _Maybe_ _she_ _was wearing them? Is she the one who's been awake all this time?_ I considered as I looked at the lens before shaking my head.

It wasn't my problem. I was probably going to go to bed and wake up again when she needed me. She could deal with her stuff when she got up.

I also noticed something else. I was wearing the same uniform as the boys were, just a female version with a skirt.

Frowning as I put the lens back in, I thought, _Can't say I'm really a fan of skirts._

Turning around I looked back at the boys I had defeated and smiled slightly. I felt proud of what I had done. I had defeated all of them, eliminated them as threats, and all without killing them. I was sure he would have been proud of what I had done if he was here too. I might even tell him if I got the chance.

Then, two things got my attention.

First, was the silver object laying before E4. I walked up to and picked it up, seeing what it was. The screen lit up when I pressed a button on it and became filled with icons.

Confused, I searched my memories for what it could be.

 _Aaah, this a scroll isn't it_ I realized.

He gave me one once. I never really used it, though, not seeing too much purpose in it besides being good for contacting him. Honestly, I liked analog stuff more. It's what I was used to.

On a whim, I decided to collect see if any of the others had scrolls, which they did. I briefly entertained the idea of keeping one of theirs, before something vibrated in my jacket pocket. Surprised, I fished inside it, before I drew out a silver scroll of my own.

 _Huh. I already have one._ I thought, pleasantly surprised.

Looking at the screen it said someone called "Jaune" was calling me. Whoever the hell "Jaune" was. In the end, I elected not to answer his call. I didn't know him, and I didn't really care about anyone I didn't know. It was, of course, after the call, that I realized that if my scroll recognized and named him, then that meant that _she_ knew him.

 _Dammit_ I silently cursed as I smacked myself in the face for my shortsightedness.

 _I could have gotten information from him about what was going on_ I realized.

Sighing, I moved on. Now that I knew I had a scroll of my own, I didn't need the ones from the boys.

So I decided to throw them in the forest. Mostly because I just wanted to see how far I could throw them with my new strength, and because I couldn't really find a reason why I should keep them.

So with that out of the way, I moved back to the second thing that caught my attention.

The journal.

The black book lay on the ground near the unconscious bodies of the boys. Walking over to it, I picked it up and held it gently in my arms, as if it was some sacred relic. For me, it practically was. I carefully brushed the dirt off it and held my hand up against the golden locking mechanism on the cover.

Using my semblance, I reached inside the lock and magnetically unsealed the book, releasing the lock with a _click_. I opened the book and briefly browsed through the contents, mostly to see about catching up on what had happened. However, it seemed that she had stopped writing in the journal about 4 years ago.

 _Why?_ I wondered.

Shrugging, I closed and locked the journal once more. Looking around at everything around me, I sighed. I was about to leave when I realized something.

 _Wait…they…they're wearing pants._ I thought.

 _And…some of them look just my size._ I realized.

Looking toward E2 and 4, I thought,

_And it's not like they'll need them anymore._

* * *

**Later**

"Pyrrha!" A voice sounded from behind me.

I ignored it. It was someone else's problem.

"Pyrrha!" It said again, this time much closer. I began to hear the sound of footsteps pounding on pavement as someone run my way.

Still ignoring, I continued to walk forward, not really having any particular place in mind, just kind of looking around the campus for the moment.

"Pyrrha! Wait up!" It said again, much closer.

"Pyrr-" It stopped.

It stopped because the source of the voice had attempted to grab my arm, something I disapproved of. So, I turned and grabbed him by the wrist before he could.

I say he, because apparently it was another boy. This one, however, wasn't oozing any hostile intent. Despite attempting to touch me, it could have been in a non-hostile action.

 _Hmm…not an enemy_ I decided, letting go of his hand.

He stared at me sheepishly with his sapphire blue eyes. He was shorter than me, came up to about my neck, and had golden blond hair to match those sapphire blue eyes. He was also wearing the same uniform, meaning he was also a student, meaning I couldn't kill him either.

"Er, hey Pyr-wait. Where did you get those pants?" He asked, gesturing towards the pair I was wearing, as well as the pairs I had slung over my shoulder.

I could have told them I took them off a bunch of boys his age who decided they wanted to fight and have now all been crippled for life. That it turned out that E1, 2, and 3's pants fit me well enough, and E4's would need a belt, but it would work.

But…

Instead, I shrugged.

He gave me a strange look, before shaking his head and beginning again.

"Nevermind, Pyrrha, it doesn't matter." He said

 _Wait, what? Who the fuck is Pyrrha?_ I wondered, giving him a puzzled look.

"I know you're probably a little mad at me, I was kind of a jerk to you." He began.

 _Wait, does he think_ _I'm_ _Pyrrha?_ I thought, bewildered.

 _Why would he think that? Unless…_ I began to consider.

Maybe he knows me as Pyrrha, or, well, her, as Pyrrha. Perhaps he decided to give her, us, a new name, and now we're known as Pyrrha?

 _Hmm…that's the only think I can think of_ I decided. It made sense.

While I had pondered about it, the boy in front of me kept rambling on and on about something. Honestly, I wasn't paying attention to it, too absorbed in my own thoughts.

Like the thought that he looked very familiar.

 _Wait a minute. Is that…him?_ I thought.

And it was. The boy before me was the same boy I had seen when I had woken briefly last time, when I had slain the large Deathstalker and saved him from a tornado.

 _I remember. It was him, the Faunus, and the smaller girl playing dead._ I thought.

Considering that I was at what was likely a hunter academy, I was willing to guess that they were my team. He had told me that apparently at hunter academies they make teams of four students. It was the most likely explanation for why I was with the three of them. Which meant that the boy before me was my teammate.

 _I wonder if he knows where I sleep?_ I wondered.

"-So, what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry for being an asshole to you." He apologized, me catching the tail end of his speech.

 _Wait, what?_ I wondered, confused.

_Why is he apologizing? What did he do?_

"So…are you still mad at me?" He asked, pleading for forgiveness. He looked into my eyes with those sapphire ones so filled with regret and hope, and…I didn't know what to do.

My experience with other people outside of fighting them and killing them, training how to fight and kill them, and being told by others who I could and could not fight and kill, wasn't very high. I had literally no idea how to respond to this.

So instead I just stared at him with a raised brow, wondering how the hell to respond.

"Uh…Pyrrha?" He asked uncertainly, looking nervous.

 _He's not going to start talking again if I don't answer him, is he?_ I thought, concerned about the prospects of another headache.

In the end, I decided to give the best answer I could think of.

I shrugged.

"You…don't know?" He asked.

I shrugged again.

"That's not really an answer." He pointed out.

 _Ok, shrugging isn't working. Time to switch tactics._ So instead of shrugging, I glared at him.

It wasn't a normal glare, it was one in which I poured aura out through my eyes, giving them an eerie glow and a level of menace they didn't normally possess.

And apparently, my eyes normally held a lot of menace.

He averted his gaze from my eyes, looking away.

"Hehe, I guess there's my answer." He chuckled nervously

I responded with another shrug.

"So, Pyrrha, I was planning on heading to bed, want to join me?" He asked nervously

Then, he stopped, and his eyes practically bulged out of his head.

"Uh, I didn't mean it like that!" He panicked

"I just meant, I was heading back to the dorm, and I wanted to know if you wanted to come with me? I mean I wanted to know if you wanted to come inside with me! I mean, shit!" He tried to explain, and was failing miserably.

 _What the fuck is going on?_ I wondered, completely lost about what was happening right now.

"You know what, I'm just going to walk back to the dorm. You can join me if you want." He finally said.

"That didn't have any innuendo in it, right?" He asked, unsure.

I just gave him a blank, confused, look.

Apparently he got the message.

"Right, stupid question. Shutting up now." He said, turning around and walking back the way he came.

 _Finally,_ I sighed in relief. _He shuts up. And I got to go to bed._

As I followed after him I couldn't help but think of all the changes that had happened while I was asleep.

Pretty much everything had changed, even my own name. Sure, I would do what I could to adapt, but change was hard.

 _But orders are orders_ I thought as I marched on. _And he is my master._

Even still, I couldn't help but one thought that stuck in my mind.

 _I know I'm supposed to go by Pyrrha now_ I thought

_But…I think I liked Kokkinos better._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I've updated in less than a week this time.
> 
> And with my longest chapter
> 
> ever
> 
> of all time
> 
> over 14K words of actual content
> 
> holy shit
> 
> also
> 
> Pyrrha is Kokkinos
> 
> kinda
> 
> Surprise
> 
> I legitimately don't know how much of a surprise that is, though
> 
> like, I kind of feel like I tipped my hand in Scene 16
> 
> If you're curious about hints I've given, Kokkinos is Greek for Scarlet, and who has Greek heritage and has been described as being "scarlet"? In addition, Kokkinos was also from Mistral, then there was the person Pyrrha saw in the mirror, and the way she had been acting all over initiation, and other little hints here and there, and so on and so forth.
> 
> Now, back to the summary
> 
> Jaune did the thing in canon where he makes Pyrrha run away in tears.
> 
> Except, this time team CRDL goes after Pyrrha instead of Jaune, and Kokkinos makes them regret it
> 
> All without technically killing them
> 
> So now the get to suffer for the rest of their lives.
> 
> Anyway, Ruby told Jaune to essentially man up and stop being a whiney bitch and an asshole.
> 
> And Jaune takes that advice and tries to apologize to Pyrrha.
> 
> Only, Pyrrha's not home anymore.
> 
> And that's how we're wrapping up this arc.
> 
> And that's about it.
> 
> Back to the story, I'm a start a tiny rant, one you can skip if you want.
> 
> The Jaundice arc, in canon, annoyed the fuck ou of me for a shit ton of reasons. One, Jaune was an asshole and a dumb piece of shit and no one really called him out on it. Two, Ruby gave...weird...advice. It wasn't bad, but wasn't really good either. Just...weird. Three, the thing with Cardin and the others wasn't so much resolved as it was dropped. Not to mention how incompetent they were portrayed, running away from a single Grimm while they were fully armed and a bunch of other things, including Jaune having to "save" Pyrrha, and Pyrrha saving-but-not-saving Jaune.
> 
> Point is, it was weird.
> 
> And, often times people tend to express their dislike of team CRDL by making them weak, dumb, shitheads. Then they usually have them getting seriously fucked up by someone or something, etc etc.
> 
> So I'm just going to say it right now, I didn't do this to team CRDL because I don't like them, nor did Kokkinos. She did what they did because they attacked her. If Yang came at her instead, she would respond with the same level of force. The reason I did this to team CRDL is because I needed something to showcase Kokkinos, and they were expendable. It was all about Kokkinos, honestly, not so much about giving team CRDL their just desserts.
> 
> And on that note, I've seen so many times and OC come in and bust team CRDL up to show how badass they are or something, instead of using Pyrrha, who's supposed to be op in the show. I say supposed to be because they never actually portray that very well. She gets in, like, 6 fights, and is usually meh in all of them, except the very last two, and even then, special conditions. Honestly, Nora seemed more OP then Pyrrha, after all, she one shot an entire team, and killed the deathstalker. All in all, they didn't really do much with Pyrrha other than make her Jaune's love interest and trainer, and they didn't even work the trainer bit that much.
> 
> So yeah, I'm going to try and actually portray Pyrrha/Kokkinos being OP and shit, while also experiencing many psychological and social problems.
> 
> But that's about it. Done my rant.
> 
> You guys review and stuff, check out the things, and have a glorious day.
> 
> Oh, and this is far from the last time we see either Pyrrha or Kokkinos.


	25. Scene 25: It's a New Dawn

"Now listen here, _girl_ , we're going to start with the basics of cooking so you actually start being useful, and not just another hungry mouth to feed." The man said.

He was a middle aged man in a chief's white uniform, hat and all. Despite his average height, he towered over the small girl in front of him. She was young, couldn't have been older than 5 or six, and barely came up to his waist. She had blood red hair that shadowed her face, covering her eyes.

"Now then, let's start with some basic stuff, like learning how to make eggs, got it?" He sternly announced.

The girl simply bowed her head and murmured in agreement, intimidated by him.

"What?!" He bellowed, gripping her jaw tightly and forcing her to look him in the eye.

"Y-yes S-sir." she managed to stutter out, terrified of his wrath.

"Good." He growled, releasing her jaw.

Then he motioned to the stool beside him, "Now get up here so I can show you how to cook." He said.

Nodding, she climbed onto the stool so she could watch him work. He demonstrated how to properly cook scrambled eggs in front of her, but when it was her turn to try, she accidentally cracked the eggs wrong, spilling them all over the counter. After whacking her in the head with a wooden spoon hard enough for her to see stars, he ordered her to clean up her mess. And as she got out a rag and tried to wipe it all down, that's when it happened.

_Boom_

A powerful tremor shook the whole manor, making pots and pans clatter loudly. The sound of the explosion was soon matched by the sound of gunfire echoing through the halls.

"Shit!" The Chief cursed, visibly worried.

As he grabbed a knife and frying pan, he turned to the girl next to him and said, "Hide."

The girl was now even more scared than she was before. Before, she was just scared of messing up, of being thrown on the streets for being useless, of being beaten for being a failure. Now she was scared for her life. She didn't know what was going on, but she knew the Chief was worried, and if he was worried, what hope did she have?

Still, she did what he told her to. She got off the stool and hide behind the counter. But not before she grabbed a small, yet sharp, knife from the kitchen counter. She wasn't sure why she did it, it was simply reflex. But she felt safer with it in her hands.

As she hid behind the counter, she heard the sound of gunfire intensify, getting louder and louder as it got closer.

Then with a crash, the double doors to the kitchen were kicked open, and an intruder walked in. He wore a black suit and tie, with a black ballistic vest underneath. He had olive skin, messy black hair, and green eyes. He was carrying a pump-action shotgun in his hands, aiming it forwards, anticipating a threat from in front.

But it came from the side.

The chief ambushed him from the side, pushing the shotgun out of the way with the frying pan, before stabbing the gunman in the chest. Or, at least, he tried to.

Instead of penetrating his flesh, the knife seemed to glance off the man's clothes. Despite not making him bleed, the gunman still grunted out in pain, flinching painfully. The chief took the opportunity to press the advantage, smashing the fingers of the gunman's right hand with the frying pan, causing him to cry out as he dropped his gun onto the ground.

After crushing his fingers, a shimmer appeared around the gunman, before disappearing in a flash of light.

Not relenting, the chief attempted to push his attack, thrusting his knife towards the man's face. Unfortunately, the gunman had recovered enough to mostly dodge the attack, though the blade still glanced across his face. This time, however, it drew blood, creating a cut along his cheek.

The gunman kicked the chief in the chest, knocking towards that girl hidden behind the counter, giving him some breathing space. As the chief recovered from the counter-attack, he tried to close the distance again.

But it was too late.

In a flash, the gunman drew his sidearm, a .45 Mustang semi-automatic pistol, and fired.

_Bang_

_Bang_

_Bang_

With those three loud reports of his gun, the chief fell to the ground in front of me, dead. Two bleeding holes in his chest, and one in his forehead. The shock of it all, the loud gunshots echoing in the room, the suddenness of the man's death, the fact that she was now alone with the intruder, all combined to cause the little girl to stumble backward, falling out of her hiding spot. An action that did not go unnoticed by the gunman.

"Oh?" He began, his brow raised in mild surprise as a smile began to grow on his face.

"What do we have here?" He said again as he slowly walked up to the young girl, casually stepping over the still warm corpse he just made.

The girl trembled, frozen in her spot on the floor in fear. She was terrified of the man in front of her. She had never seen someone die before and had never been this close to death itself.

When the man reached her, he gripped her jaw in his left hand, his right gingerly holding the gun.

"Hmm…" He began as he inspected my face. "You look pretty cute, girl."

Then, a thin, predatory smile grew on his face. "You'll probably be a nice piece of ass one you get older."

"Shame that'll be a while, though." He remarked again, his smile falling into a frown.

"Then again…" He began with a sigh.

"Mistress _did_ say no witnesses." He began, looking away from me as he eyed his gun in his right hand.

And in that moment, something inside that little girl _pushed_. All the fear built up before finally mounting onto two choices, fight, or flee. And the choice her instincts made, that _she_ made, changed everything.

Taking the narrow window of opportunity given to her, she whipped out the knife from behind her back, and in a flash plunged it into the hand still caressing her face.

" _AH!_ " The man howled in pain as the knife impaled the middle of his hand.

He jolted up, dropping the gun as he gripped his left hand in agony, the knife still stuck in his hand. As he stumbled backward in blinding pain, he tripped over the corpse of the chief he had made.

"You little fucking bitch." He growled, pulling the knife from his hand as he recovered.

"Now I'm really going to kill you." He continued as he began to get up, murder in his eyes

"You Fucking BI-" He began to growl again, but the words died in his throat as he saw what was in front of him.

The girl with the bloody scarlet hair.

With is gun in her trembling hands.

He knew his aura was dead and gone, as evidenced by the knife he just pulled from his hand. He was vulnerable.

The girl was scared out of her mind, the gun too big for her hands trembling fiercely. She had seen what it did, how it could kill a man. She knew that with this object in her hands, she had power, she had a chance, she could _survive_. But she also knew she could fail. There was no going back now.

Either this worked, or she was dead.

And she knew that.

The man slowly walked toward her, uninjured hand extended towards her in an attempt to be non-threatening. "Whoa whoa, just…just calm down girl. No need to do something hasty. Just put it down."

But she didn't believe him. He was going to kill her if he got to her. If she failed, she was going to die. And with the threat of death weighing heavily in her mind, she made a choice.

When the gunman saw the subtle change in her eyes, the steel she had gathered inside as she made her decision, terrified as she was, he panicked.

"No no NO-!" He yelled, breaking into a run toward her.

But his cries were cut short with a resounding _Bang_.

The aim of a scared, untrained, child firing a gun far too large for her was far from accurate, but it seemed fate smiled upon her in a twisted way. The bullet flew through the air, before impacting the gunman.

Right in the neck.

The bullet hit towards the left side of the neck, tearing the jugular vein open, and ripping a hole in his windpipe. The force of the shot caused him to spin ever so slightly. In the throes of death, he stumbled, trying to regain his balance. One hand was clutching his throat, desperately trying to stop the bleeding and the other reaching out to the girl.

As he choked on his own blood, he fell upon the girl, frozen in fear. Collapsing on her, he covered her in the crimson fluids leaving his body and trapped her under his weight. As she struggled to get out from under the dying man, she only served to cover herself more thoroughly in his blood.

When she finally managed to get out from under him, she looked back to see the life draining from his eyes as he drowned in his own fluids. He looked her in the eye, and with his dying breath, let out a strangled curse.

The girl, still flooded with fear, scrambled away from him, the gun that had saved her life, and taken his, held in a white knuckle grip in her hands. She began to realize the magnitude of what she had done, that she had just taken the life of another human being, and that she had been close to death herself.

"Michael!" A voice shouted, breaking her from her thoughts.

She turned, and to her horror, there was another gunman, dressed the same as the first, with a bloody knife in one hand, and a pistol in the other. He looked to the dead gunman beside her with horror and loss. Then, before she could hide, his eyes slid to her, and his horrified expression morphed into a rictus of rage.

"You BITCH!" He snarled, teeth bared in fury, murder in his eyes, as he charged towards the little girl

Terrified she rose the gun once more, praying for it to save her one more time.

She fired again, but this time the bullet did not draw blood. It bounced off his aura, making him flinch slightly in pain, but he powered through it, too driven by rage to stop.

Horrified that her savior had failed her, she fired again, trying desperately to save herself. The shot managed to somehow hit him in the hand holding the knife, forcing him to drop it in reflex and pain, but didn't actually damage the hand itself. Still, it was all that was needed to drain his aura in a flash of light.

But that was all she was able to get off before he slammed his hand into her, hoisting her into the air by her neck, and slamming her head into the wall.

Stars exploded into her vision as she suffocated under the pressure of his massive hand wrapped around her throat. Her left hand scratched against the one wrapped around his throat, trying to free herself, while the other hand struggled to raise the gun still in her tight grip, it's weight too much for one of her small, thin, arms to hold by itself.

"Stop." A voice said, calm, but commanding.

"She killed Michael." The man strangling the girl argued, glaring at her fiercely with his dark brown eyes.

"I said, **drop her**." She reiterated, her tone filled with iron, giving no room for defiance.

With an angry grunt, he obeyed, releasing the girl and allowing her to fall to the ground. Coughing as she massaged her bruised throat with her free hand, she kept her death grip on the gun that had saved her life once.

When she looked up, she saw a woman standing in front of the other gunman, radiating a commanding presence. She wore white robes with a gold trim. Her hair a dark brown, and her eyes a stormy grey. At her hip was a sheathed sword, on hand resting on the golden pommel.

"Why didn't you let me kill her?!" The angry gunman questioned.

"Because I see something in her. She managed to kill Michael, a little girl. I see potential in her. A will of blood and iron rests in her, and I want to use it." She explained as she smiled down at me, a pleased and predatory smile.

She walked up to the girl, and asked, "What is your name, girl?", as she towered over her.

"U-uh" The girl stammered, stunned. Nobody had ever asked her name before. She didn't even _have_ a name. She had always just been called, "girl", or, "little bitch" when someone was mad.

"I-I don't have a name." She managed to stutter out.

"Hmm…" The woman hummed in thought.

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to give you one, won't I?" She mused quietly, her brow furrowed in thought.

So as the woman looked the girl over, covered head to toe in still glistening wet blood, with hair of a bloody red itself, one thing came to mind.

Scarlet.

"Kokkinos." The woman announced.

"K-kokkinos?" The girl repeated, confused.

"Yes. Your name, from now on, shall be Kokkinos." The woman explained.

The girl, stunned that she had finally been given a name, just nodded dumbly at her, not knowing what else to do.

"My name, is Lady Agathe." The woman began, gesturing towards herself.

"But you will call me mistress." She continued, her grin growing.

"Because you, my dear Kokkinos, are _mine_."

* * *

**Kokkkinos pov**

… _what?_ I thought, confused.

I blinked my eyes open, consciousness filling me.

I was…awake. The dream, the memory, had ended. And I had awakened from it. In the normal way.

I was waking up, from _actual_ sleep. I was still in bed, the blanket laying discarded on the floor, just as I had left it when I went to bed.

 _Why am I still awake?_ I wondered.

This isn't how it was supposed to work. I usually only appeared when she was in times of great stress or danger, when she called on me, when she _needed_ me.

 _Perhaps…I've actually been asleep for a while?_ I suggested.

Picking up my scroll from the desk near the head of my bed, I looked at the time. Unfortunately, it only confirmed my fears. It was the morning after the night I had awoken. I hadn't lost any time.

This was…curious. Something like this hasn't happened in a _long_ time, and even then, things weren't as…sedate…as they were now.

Realizing the predicament I was now in, I sighed loudly.

 _I was not trained for this_ I thought darkly.

 _But, I suppose I'll just have to adapt._ I thought, resolve taking hold. _No use sitting around whining about it._

And with that thought, I decided it would be prudent to do some research. Research on the school, my teammates, hunters, Grimm, and of course, "Pyrrha Nikos". Since that's who I was, apparently, it would make sense if I actually knew about myself.

First, though, I had something very important I needed to do.

Reaching over and opening a drawer in the desk, I pulled out the sacred relic that was the Black Book, my Journal. I opened it up, flipped to the most recent page, and made my entry.

I had already made another entry last night with the date and time of the entry, as well as a short description of what happen. I, of course, encoded it. Lady Agathe was nothing if not cautious, and seeing that I knew many of her darkest secrets as her slave, she saw fit to make sure I knew how to keep them. It was double encrypted, first using my, our, mother tongue, and second, using an encryption key and phrases that we had memorized to heart.

In short, to almost everyone, even if they managed to open the book, all they would be able to see was something in Mistralian. Even if they understood that language, none of it would truly reveal anything to them. Nothing important, at least.

So putting down a new entry for the predicament I found myself in, I closed the journal, sealed it, and then put it back in its spot. I then proceeded to open my scroll back up to do some of that research I so desperately needed.

 _Time to see what you've been up to while I was asleep_ I thought.

* * *

**Goodwitch pov**

_I don't even know what to feel_ I thought, looking down at them.

Anger? Shame? Disappointment? Suspicion? Satisfaction? Greif? They were all there in some way, but it was more of a messy sludge of feelings, than a blend of different flavors.

"So, how are they?" Ozpin asked from beside me, stopping to take a sip from his mug.

"They...are alive. For now. Beyond that…" I trailed off.

"We'll find who is responsible." He said, trying to comfort me.

"I'm not sure we will," I responded despondently.

"What makes you say that?" He asked.

"Mr. Thrush, Mr. Winchester, and Mr. Lark are all in a coma, and we have no idea when they will awaken, if they ever do. Only Mr. Bronzewing has woken up, but even then he suffered a massive concussion. Combined with the psychological trauma he and the others received, he can barely remember anything about the encounter, or even why he was there. All he can seem to remember is pain and a red monster." I explained.

"Not to mention, whenever it happened, it happened when no one was around so we have no witnesses. We don't even know what attacked them. It could have been a Grimm, but if so, why didn't it kill them? And how did it get here? If it was a human or Faunus, how and why did they do this?" I continued.

"Frankly, the most likely scenario is that Mr. Winchester and his team bit off more than they could chew. It's a relatively well-known fact that Mr. Winchester had been leading his team around as a pack of bullies, bullying many for being weak or Faunus, including Ms. Scarleneta of team CFVY. It's possible someone, or even a whole team, had enough of his behavior and decided to take revenge on them." I admitted.

"But...I don't like the idea of one student in particular, or even a group of students, being culpable and complicit with this." I added solemnly.

"What did they do?" Ozpin asked again.

"Frankly, they tore them apart." I began, looking him in the eye.

"Each one of them has significant bruising and broken bones. Mr. Thrush, in particular, was treated like a bear's punching bag. He has a severely bruised liver, a broken wrist, and several cracked and broken ribs. Worst of all is his head. He suffered some kind of either repetitive or powerful singular blunt force trauma that destroyed his left eye, with no hope of recovery, and sent fragments of his skull into his brain, along with further severe brain damage."

"Mr. Lark..." I began, forcing myself to swallow the bile rising in my throat.

"Mr. Lark had arm _torn off_ , as well as suffering severe brain damage and a cracked rib. And yes, I said torn off, not cut off, like with a blade. It was ripped off at the elbow with pure strength." I explained.

"Mr. Bronzewing got off the easiest, relatively speaking. He has major brain damage as well, and a severe concussion, but he was the only one to wake up so far. In addition, he has lost the use of his right leg. The bones in his knee were practically ground into dust from another massive blunt force impact, and there is no hope of recovery without prosthetics. He has also suffered massive external damage to his ears. While they may recover in time, his hearing has been severely affected."

"And then there's Mr. Winchester." I began, with a sad sigh

"Mr. Winchester has suffered massive and repeated blunt force trauma to the head. If it wasn't for his Aura, he would probably be dead. Even still, he is on the edge of life as it is. We don't know if he'll ever wake up or mentally recover, but even if he does, he has another problem to deal with."

With that, I brought out one of the x-rays I had brought with me, this one showing his spine.

"Mr. Winchester had a pipe rammed through his spine, and pinning him to the ground. It must have been at an incredible temperature at some point when it entered him, because the heat not only cauterized the wound it made, but it also fused the pipe, to a degree, with his own flesh and blood. They managed to remove most of it, however, some of it remains in him, primarily because if they took it out he would bleed to death. Not only that, but because of it's placement and entry, it severed his spinal cord. He is now paralyzed from the waist down, and thanks to the pipe still there, even attempting to apply a prosthetic to him would be even more difficult than normal." I finished.

"So, what you're saying is that they're out of action?" He questioned.

"Yes. As unfortunate as it is, they cannot become huntsman as they are now. Perhaps some of them might find a way around their new disabilities if they have the drive, but that's assuming they ever recover." I answered.

And with those words he took a long, deep, sigh.

"Can we not find anything about who might have done this to them?" He questioned with closed eyes.

"No, we don't even have their scrolls to find out what they might have been doing. All we have is evidence at the scene of the crime, but even then, none of that's going to be processed into anything useful anytime soon." I explained.

"I see." He began, trailing off as he glared out the window of his office to the school below.

"How many people know about this?' He asked.

"Not many, just the staff. I was intentionally vague when I questioned the students." I answered.

"Good, lets keep our investigation discrete. We wouldn't want to alert the students, especially after Initiation. If they thought not even Beacon itself was safe...I shudder to think what would happen." He said darkly.

"Will we be getting the police involved?" I asked.

"No, this is a huntsman issue, and more importantly, a Beacon issue. We can handle this." He responded.

"The Vale government might not see it that way when they find out." I warned him, choosing to say "when", not "if".

"I'll deal with them when that happens." He said with cold confidence.

"Alright Ozpin, I hope you know what you're doing." I sighed, relenting to his wishes.

"So do I, Glynda, so do I." He said with a sad smile.

* * *

**Blake pov**

_What...what is that?_ I thought, distressed, a shiver going down my spine

I was sitting in the cafeteria with Jaune and Lilith, waiting for Pyrrha to show up. I hadn't seen her all day yet. I'm guessing that Pyrrha woke up and went out for her morning exercises while I was out for a bit, and she didn't return to the dorm before we went to breakfast. In response, I decided to leave a note for her telling her where we were. Hopefully she would show up before class.

But now, my instincts and senses were flooded with this...aura. It felt primal and powerful, but coiled up like snake. It smelled thickly of iron and seemed to put some kind of pressure on me. Lilith seemed to respond to it's presence as well, perking up and looking toward the entrance of the mess hall. Jaune, however, didn't even look up from his food.

Then I saw it.

Saw _her_.

Pyrrha.

A dull frown adorned her face as she walked this way, her hands in her pockets. Her _pants_ pockets. For some reason she was wearing a boy's school uniform, pants and all, and surprisingly enough, it seemed to fit her well. Her dark emerald eyes gazed over the entire cafeteria, searching for something.

Then, they locked onto my own, and in that moment, when she looked me in the eye from across the cafeteria, I felt like a kitten before a lion. It was humbling and terrifying.

And then the moment was over.

Without wasting any time, she made her way straight over to the rest of us. She took an empty seat right next to her partner, Lilith, and right in front of me.

"H-hey Pyrrha." Jaune said somewhat nervously.

Something was bugging him, and it didn't take a genius to figure out what. After all, it was bugging me too.

"Pyrrha." I greeted cordially.

Lilith, instead of greeting her, instead just looked at Pyrrha with a puzzled, yet curious, expression. Like she had just found a very interesting puzzle unexpectedly, but was eager to unravel it's secrets.

Pyrrha, instead of responding verbally, just looked us all over with a dull look, before humming in acknowledgement.

I shared a concerned look with Jaune before I asked, "Pyrrha, are you ok?"

She simply shrugged.

 _This is...weird._ I thought, very disconcerted by how she was acting. She definitely didn't seem fine, but she also felt very far from sharing her problems.

"Okay." I said slowly, "Then let's head to class. History starts in a few minutes."

She hummed again with a shallow nod of her head, getting up with the rest of us and following me out. It was deeply unsettling, seeing the girl that once wore her heart on a sleeve like this. I could barely read anything from her beyond bored disinterest.

And so it continued like this for the whole day, something clearly wrong, but with nothing we could do about it. In fact, the only time her face of bored disinterest seemed to break was when it fell into something I can only label as murderous annoyance. It was always fleeting, only momentary narrowing of her eyes, a glimpse of her lips pulled back into a snarl, but it was enough. It was just like how she was on Initiation, when nearly attacked me, when she killed the Death Stalker.

It was...frightening.

* * *

**Weiss pov**

"I'm sure many of you have heard about this famed "Honey Trip" you freshmen usually take." Lt. Niflheim began.

It was Monday, the beginning of the week, and the first class of the day, combat class with Lt. Niflheim. To be honest, I found that I liked this class more than I thought I would, namely because of the teacher. Lt. Niflheim's thick northern Atlesian accent, despite sounding what some might consider brutish, was actually comforting. It reminded me of home. I myself would probably have a similar accent if Father didn't insist on instructing all of us on the more "standard" accent of the world.

Another thing I appreciated about him was the way he seemed to get to the point, didn't treat us like weak children, and his professionalism. Basically, he was a model Atlesian officer, just like Winter.

If Winter was a 7ft tall mountain of muscle and masculinity.

In any case, instead of starting with today's lesson, he instead started with an announcement.

"Now, for those who don't know, usually freshmen go on a supervised trip into Forever Fall to collect sap from trees." He explained.

"It's often described as a nice trip with beautiful scenery, little danger, and on the whole being an easy A" He continued.

"Which is exactly why I put a stop to it the moment I heard about it." He announced.

There was a chorus of moans and disapproval. Many of the students had either heard from their family, who had also gone to this school, or upperclassmen, and were looking forward to the trip. Personally, I thought it was a waste of time. I didn't come to Beacon, one of the most prestigious schools for training hunters how to kill Grimm, in order to collect tree sap.

"Come on man!" One student exclaimed, "This isn't fair, every other class got to do it before us."

"Well, the other classes weren't being held up to my standards." The Lieutenant replied with a disapproving frown, his deep rumbling voice as resolute as tempered steel. "As I said before, this institution isn't here to coddle you, and it isn't here to teach you about the beauty of nature. If you want to frolic in the woods collecting honey, then drop out or do it on your own time."

"So instead of going on a picnic like a bunch of newborn kittens..." He began

"We're going camping."

"At Mt. Glenn."

"For a week." He announced.

And in the wake of his declaration, silence

Deafening, crushing, silence.

Instead of going on a scenic trip for an easy A, we were going to be staying in the dangerous Grimm infested Terrain of Mt. Glenn.

For a week.

It would be dangerous, strenuous, intense, and in no way easy.

It was perfect.

I could barely keep myself from bursting into maniacal laughter.

 _This is going to be an incredible challenge, the perfect way to prove myself_ I thought with glee.

"We will be going four weeks, plenty of time for all of you to properly prepare yourself. I will be taking this class and another one with me. When you return, I'll be leaving with the next two classes, before I return to teaching you here. Don't worry, though, I'll leave something for you to do in my absence." He explained.

Someone in the crowd of students sitting on the bleachers raised their hand.

"Why not take all the students at once?" He asked after the Atlesian gestured to him.

"Because 80 students is far too many for me to keep track of all of you. 40 is much more manageable." He answered.

This time, I raised my hand. When he gestured to me, I asked, "What is the class we will be going with?"

"Class B2" He answered, "The 2nd class I have tomorrow for freshmen."

This time, I did smile.

 _Perfect_ I thought.

That's the class with Team ANBL. If everything goes just right, then nothing will be able to stand in the way of greatness.

_I just hope my little gamble last Friday worked._

And with that, I thought back to how the events played out that evening.

* * *

**Friday Evening**

I entered the classroom for the leadership class, a mandatory class for all team leaders. It was also something _only_ team leaders could attend. As it was, since the freshmen class was so low, every freshmen leader was in one class, all 20 of us. Normally there would closer to triple or even quadruple that number, but the severity of Initiation had taken its toll.

In any case, this was an opportunity for me to accomplish something very important to my plans of world dominat-I mean greatness.

 _And maybe I'll finally do something worthy in his eyes, maybe I'll finally be good enough._ I silently hoped.

Shaking my head of those depressing thoughts, I moved back to the task at hand. Searching for a certain raven haired beauty with amber eyes. Unfortunately, I hadn't been able to even see her in person at all yet, only the picture of her the school has for registration and filing purposes. We shared no classes, and her team likely went to lunch before or after ours. A shame considering how interested I am in her and her team.

But now I would have that chance. She had to be here today, which meant I could finally meet the leader of team ANBL.

 _There_ I thought excitedly, seeing a flash of black in the classroom.

She was sitting in the back corner of the room, with nothing but the wall behind her. It was a nice secluded spot, away from most of the louder, more rambunctious people. All in all, a great spot for a reclusive loner.

She was wearing the school uniform, but unlike in her school picture, she wasn't wearing a black bow. Instead, she wore a black flat cap that only seemed to add a level of intimidating confidence of her frown, one that said, "Don't _Fuck_ with me", especially the way her amber eyes seemed to almost glow in the shadow of the hat.

So, suppressing my anxiety about this whole thing, pushing down the fear of failure or rejection, I made my way over to her.

"May I sit here?" I asked politely, fighting to keep the quiver from my voice.

She gave a noncommittal grunt without even glancing at me, but gestured to the chair with one of her hands, so I took it as a yes.

Once I sat down next to her, I began to center myself again, to push down my nerves and build up that confidence, false or not. Drawing myself up, I turned to her, fought the butterflies in my stomach, held my hand out, and introduced myself.

"Weiss Schnee," I said.

She looked at me, a little startled, but instantly on guard and warry of me, her eyes taking in every inch of my person.

"…Blake. Blake Belladonna." She responded, slowly taking my hand.

"I've heard a lot about you, and your team." I began as I retracted the hand, silently thanking god the first stage went smoothly enough.

"And?" She questioned with narrowed eyes.

"And…I'm impressed." I declared with a smirk.

That statement seemed to truly stun her, her eyes opening wide as she all but visibly recoiled.

"Impressed?" She repeated.

"Yes. Your team was the only one to survive the tornado, and all night in a Grimm infested forest during a lightning storm. Something that would require either considerable potential or luck." I explained.

"And what if we just got lucky?" She challenged

Instead of frowning, however, my smirk only grew more predatory.

"That might be even better. After all, an ancient general was well known for preferring lucky men to skilled ones." I answered.

"And how did that serve him?" She responded.

"He became an emperor," I grinned

She stared at me for a moment, before giving me a lovely little grin.

"That he did." She responded.

"So I say this to say, I'm very interested in you and your team. In fact, I think we could accomplish great things together." I proposed.

"What do you mean?" She questioned, warry of my intentions.

"I'm proposing something of…an alliance. We would work together, help each other out, train together, help each other study, and do things for each other. Together, nobody could stop us, we would rule the school. Strength, grades, popularity, fame, it would all be ours" I explained.

"And more importantly, we would be safe." I confided.

"Initiation proved that becoming a hunter isn't as safe or happy as we were told it was, and it's always good to have allies, strength in numbers after all." I continued.

She hummed in agreement. I could see the gears in her head turning as she processed this idea.

"Okay, but why me? Didn't Cardin Winchester's team join you as the first two teams to make it to Beacon?" She inquired suspiciously.

I grimaced at the mention of Cardin's name.

"Cardin Winchester is a misogynistic brute." I spat out "When I brought up the idea to him, he thought I was hitting on him."

 _That rat bastard didn't even think I was anywhere near his level, that I was just some fucking whore that fell for his muscles_ I internally raged.

Blake, in response, raised a quizzical brow, before giving me another one of those little beautiful smirks.

Sighing as I gathered my bearings again, I turned back to her to begin again.

"Blake, your team is made of the only son of the noble Arc family line, the fabled "Invincible Girl", and Ms. Goodwitch's niece. And yet, out of all those people, Ozpin chose to make you, a relative nobody, the leader of the team. That speaks volumes about you, because you have nothing to fall back on, no legacy, no fame, and no connections to give you an advantage." I said, laying it all down for her.

I had done my homework on her and her team, as I had for many of the teams. Not everyone, not yet, but so far just the standouts. And at the top of the list of standouts, was Blake Belladonna and team ANBL.

"Whatever you did was enough for Professor Ozpin to decide that _you_ were the best choice for leader. And you did it all on your own despite who you were being compared to. That's why I'm interested in you." I finished.

She stared at me with eyes narrowed in thought. Her amber eyes filled with calculated thought and suspicion.

"…I'll think about it." She finally said.

"Good, that's all I wanted," I smiled.

* * *

**Present**

_And if she accepts, this will be the perfect first test of our alliance._ I thought

A challenge like this camping trip would be the perfect thing. I wasn't looking forward to the honey trip because it was just an easy A, there was no challenge. Some people may have liked it because it was easy and "safe", but me?

I thought it was insulting and beneath me. How am I supposed to be able to prove myself to others if they keep handing me tasks anyone could do? How could I rise to greatness and perfection if there was nothing to challenge me to do better? If everything was handed to me on a silver platter, then what would be the point in having it at all?

As father told me, everything worth having in life was taken through blood, sweat, and tears. If you didn't work for it, then you couldn't truly appreciate it and it didn't mean a damn thing.

So something like this camping trip, where I would be working with Tam ANBL and Blake, where I would be challenged with something I had never done before and would truly test my skills, filled me with unbridled excitement.

 _This is going to be glorious_ I thought with a hidden grin.

"Now then, back on topic" Lt. Niflheim began, his rumbling voice shaking me from my thoughts. "The last two days of class, I had you all spar in both unarmed and armed combat, all to get a feel for how you fight. What I learned is…"

"I have my work cut out for me." He said disapprovingly.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" One student accused.

"It means all you all seem to know how to do is wave around your pointy sticks and shoot things. You don't know how to truly fight." He explained.

"But don't worry." He began

"You will."

* * *

**Jack pov**

_Shit_ I thought as I pumped my legs harder and harder, pulling my sidearm from its holster.

It was night, and I was on my way to the station to take up the night shift of guarding Torchwick again. As per standard Watchmen regulations, all my armor and the majority of my weapons were locked in the secure Watchmen armory at the station. Still, the allowed me to keep my sidearm, and one of my personal weapons. So I chose to keep Sleas, my flaming axe, with me. I had a lot of history with that axe, and it was a personal favorite of mine.

In any case, I was walking to work late at night. Most everyone was asleep by this point. Then I heard a scream. A scream, followed by gunshots.

And so now here I am, running towards the sounds of gunfire and screams. Such is the duty of a Watchman.

 _This is going to be so much paperwork_ I mentally groaned as I ran.

I knew this city like the back of my hand, especially this route, something that came from being born and raised in the city. So I knew that I was headed straight towards an abandoned warehouse district, a place where nobody should be. It was also a place well known for crime, especially if you wanted to be discreet.

 _Probably a drug deal gone bad or something_ I thought, considering the possibilities for what I would see as I ran through the alleys.

As I continued on, the screams of pain and gunshots only got louder and louder, signaling that I was headed in the right direction. But I also couldn't help but notice that slowly but surely, the gunfire was dying down.

 _God, I hope I'm not too late._ I thought.

Then, finally, I burst out from the alleys, and into the collection of warehouses. Looking around, I saw a warehouse with several black luxury SUVs parked in front of it, each one with tinted windows.

 _Gangsters_ I thought, narrowing my eyes. It was probably one of the mobs, not sure which one at this point, but it was definitely one of the high profile ones if they were using luxury SUVs.

The massive doors to the warehouse were opened slightly, and I could see small flashes of light from the darkness within. Running over there, I tried to make it there to catch them in the act, make some arrests, save some lives, do my job. That kind of stuff. But when I got to the door, and peered inside, nothing could have prepared me for what I saw.

The walls were covered from floor to ceiling in blood and gore, the floor littered with bodies torn limb from limb. Machinery and chemistry equipment was strewn about, broken, but obviously once functional. Discarded guns lay scattered on the ground of all different makes and models. But in front of me stood that which captured my attention.

A man in a black suit with a red tie and sunglasses. In his hands was a red machete, while on the ground was a discarded assault rifle.

And he was being held 3 feet in the air.

A large white claw was wrapped around his neck, attached to a large fury white arm that easily held him in the air. The arm itself was attached to a large, easily 10 foot tall, white monster with pitch black eyes. Its silver-white fur was stained with copious amounts of blood. Its bloodied teeth barred to the man in its grasp. Its black eyes looking at him with hunger and desire.

It was the White wolf.

Up close and personal.

Before I could make a move, it grasped the man with its other claw, before biting down on his head, and with a wet, meaty, crunchy, _Snap_ , it ripped it off. I stood there frozen as it ripped the man's body in half as easily as one would tear paper. Torn open, his organs fell from corpse like bloody candy from a meat piñata. His lungs, intestines, stomach, plopping on the ground, further staining the floor of the warehouse with his blood, all the while the White Wolf gorged itself with the meal in its hands, devouring him, bones and all.

I was torn from my stunned stupor when I heard a whimper from inside the warehouse. Tearing my eyes away from the scene in front of me, I saw a woman in torn and bloodstained clothes, crouched in the corner with a bloodied face and tears streaming from her eyes. She was terrified, trying to be as small as unnoticeable as possible. When I looked in her eyes and saw the utter terror that filled them, I made my choice.

Against my better judgment, I raised my gun, aimed, and squeezed the trigger.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

I fired again and again, putting round after round of 9mm ammunition into the distracted monster's face. I emptied the entire clip, all 15 rounds, before I stopped. Pausing for a moment to reload, I glanced away. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement, and looked up, and froze. The spare magazine fell out of my hand as I stopped in stunned disbelief and horror.

 _H-how_ I thought.

The White Wolf was standing up from its meal, completely unhindered and undamaged from the point blank assault on it. My gun hadn't done a damn thing to it. I didn't expect it to kill the Grimm, it was only a 9mm round gun, made for stopping people, not monsters, but I expected it to do _something_. Glancing down, I saw something else that only furthered my horror. Crumpled bullets lay strewn about the floor everywhere, as if they had smashed into something but simply bounced off.

"My god…" I muttered.

I had thought that the reason the White Wolf was still okay despite fighting such a large group of well-armed mobsters was because it either dodged all the bullets, or they couldn't shoot for shit. But I was wrong. Now, as the White Wolf rose to its full height, towering over me, it was clear.

They hadn't missed a shot.

I grit my teeth and tried to clamp down on that fear. I was a Watchman dammit, I wasn't going to let some uppity albino Beowolf scare me like I was some green-ass recruit.

I dropped my gun, seeing as it was useless, and began to draw Sleas, my axe, as well as using my police-issued scroll to contact the precinct. I don't know if I'd be able to kill it by myself, but at least wanted to know that backup would be on the way eventually. But even if they were on the way, that didn't change the fact I knew full well in my mind.

_Right now I'm all alone._

And as it towered over me, looking down at me like I was just another piece of meat for its insatiable appetite, I couldn't help but feel a fear in my gut. This thing was a complete unknown. It vaguely resembled a Beowolf in the basic anatomical sense, but that was like comparing a real bear to an Ursa. If it wasn't for the fact I had just seen it eat someone, I'd be questioning whether or not it was actually a Grimm. The coloring was all wrong, the white and black being inverted and not a trace of red save for blood on it. The second most glaring difference was that it lacked the armored bone mask that all Grimm had, or any such plates or spikes in general. Something that made me question how on earth it was bulletproof.

But the lack of typical Grimm traits gave me no comfort. There was still this unnatural feeling coming from this thing, this feeling that it was _wrong_ , like it didn't belong here, and that its very presence was unnatural. Everything about it felt… _off_. Its eyes were too dark to truly be called black, they were almost empty bottomless pits that swallowed all light that dared approach. Its fur was an unnatural silver white that seemed to glisten and shine. Its head was a twisted interpretation of a wolf's. Its arms too long, both spindly and muscular. Its claws like scythes, long enough to scrape the ground.

The most unnerving thing about the White Wolf, however, wasn't any of that. Up close and personal, it was the massive waves of _hunger_ radiating off of it, causing a tiny voice in my head to constantly whisper,

" _You're just food, You're just food, You're just food, and you're next."_

It stared into my eyes with those hungering pits of its, judging my worth as food, measuring like a cut of steak. Then, suddenly, it twitched. I prepared myself for its charge, but instead of attacking, it turned its head. It looked out towards the northern side of warehouse, the ears on its head twitching as if honing in on a sound only it could hear.

 _What the hell is it doing?_ I wondered, _Can it hear the backup I called in?_

Then, after only a few seconds of the distraction, it turned back to me and did the damndest thing, something I never thought I'd see in a thousand years. Something that made my blood run cold, made my soul scream.

It grinned.

The edges of its mouth pulling up to show its teeth in a twisted facsimile of a grin, before crouched down, as if preparing to jump or sprint. Then, it twitched again.

Then it's entire form shuttered.

And with a small flash of light, and a _Crack!_ , it was gone, only leaving what looked like a small trail of falling ash in what I can only assume was its wake. The trail only lasted for a few feet, but it was heading straight in my direction.

I blinked in surprise, before spinning around as fast as I could, thinking it had gotten behind me. But no, it was gone. Just like before.

 _What the hell was that!_ I that, bewildered and terrified.

So, as I heard sirens in the distance, signaling that help was finally on the way, I looked back down at the trail of ash that the White Wolf had left in its wake. As I did, I couldn't help the thought that crossed my mind as I did.

 _These ashes_ I thought, picking up some in my hand

_They kind of look like fallen petals._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weiss is making alliances.
> 
> Well, just one, but still.
> 
> Now, honestly, I'm not sure if it's totally in line with how canon Weiss would act.
> 
> I don't care though.
> 
> Lets just say I'm making Weiss more tactically inclined, and tactically, making an alliance with the Team ANBL makes a lot of sense.
> 
> Also, since this doesn't appear to be a thing in the show (which isn't surprising) I'm doing it here because it makes sense. The different kingdoms have different accents and languages based on earth ones.
> 
> Atlas is basically germanic, or northern Europe, which includes Germany, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, even a dab of Russia
> 
> Vale is basically southern Europe and America, so France, Spain, UK, Canada, Mexico, etc.
> 
> Mistral is basically just all of Asia with some north Africa and Mediterranean countries.
> 
> And Vacuo...Vacuo is probably the Middle East and Africa, but that might change
> 
> That's not to say they will actually be those countries, they will just be influenced by them and based on them.
> 
> And I don't see it as a stretch to say that Weiss's father would make it such that his family lacks a distinct accent when speaking "common", which is probably English.
> 
> Also, Team CRDL is out of action, so there's that.
> 
> Oh, and the White Wolf.
> 
> That's a thing.
> 
> Also, a couple people have brought up that in canon Jaune is taller than Pyrrha. That's true, he is.
> 
> But fuck canon.
> 
> Always pictured Pyrrha as being, in basically every way, physically superior to Jaune, including height. Actually, I mentally pictured Pyrrha as being the tallest person, second only to Yatsu.
> 
> Then I saw an episode in S3 after I started posting this fic, saw Jaune was taller than Pyrrha, said "FUCK!", and then proceeded to not do anything cause fuck it
> 
> It's fan fiction, if I want Pyrrha to be 6'6", I can


	26. Scene 26: It's a New Day

**? pov**

"Many of you have been wondering about the increased police presence over the past couple days." He Began in his deep rumbling voice.

The man stood in a brown coat over a white shirt with a dark blue tie. He had dark brown skin, eyes, and a thick head of grey hair and matching mustache. Despite his age, he still held a face of vigor and strength, and was seen as a symbol of order and justice in the community of Vale.

He was Commissioner Caldwell, the head of the VCPD for the past 15 years.

"Some of you might have even heard rumors of disappearances, of sightings of monsters, of Grimm in the city." He continued.

He stood on a podium before a veritable sea of reporters, all eagerly awaiting to hear why he had called together this press conference. Everyone in the audience knew what he was talking about. News was their job, and none of them would have been in the business if they didn't. The city was on edge, everyone felt like something was off, like things weren't safe anymore.

"I have come here before you today, to answer these rumors." He said before pausing, closing his eyes and collecting himself. All the while everyone watching held on with bated breath, wondering what he would say next.

"There are no Grimm running around the city." He resolutely declared, his unshakable confidence in his words so clear and apparent that it gave the most paranoid spectators doubt.

They all felt like they could take a breath of relief. They're great protector had just announced they were in the clear, that they were safe.

Or so they thought.

"However…" He interjected with a concerned and stern expression, his brows creased together as his dark eyes narrowed. "That does not mean all is well."

"There is, in fact, something lurking out there in the dark, preying on us at our weakest, but instead of a Grimm, it is a Serial Killer." He announced.

And with those words, the entire room seemed to stop for a moment, everyone pausing to process that.

_A serial killer?_ They thought, bewildered.

Serial killers felt…unreal, fictional, something that only happened in stories and works of more modern fiction. But here the Commissioner that they all placed their faith in was, telling them one was out there.

"At this point we're calling the individual, the 'White Wolf'" He began

Instantly one of the reporters interjected with a question, "Is this because this individual is affiliated with the White Fang?"

"No, actually." The commissioner quickly responded.

"We have no real idea whether this individual is, in fact, connected to the White Fang. They are being referred to as the 'White Wolf' due to the few eye witness reports of the individual telling us that they wear a white wolf mask, and are likely a wolf Faunus. Reports have also given us cause to rate the individual as a hunter-grade threat. If you see this individual, run, and contact the proper authorities as soon as possible."

"What has this 'White Wolf' done?" another reporter asked.

"The 'White Wolf' is directly responsible for the deaths of an untold number of people. At this point, we have yet to identify any particular thing linking the victims together." He answered

"An untold number? Don't you have count of how many bodies you've recovered that are this 'White Wolf's' doing?" Another asked.

"That's part of the problem." Commissioner Caldwell sighed.

"The 'White Wolf' is a cannibal killer, and often leaves little more than a bloody mess as a remnant of his victims. At this point we're still sifting through all the evidence and remains to get ID's on all the victims." He explained

Many in the audience looked sick to their stomachs at the information provided to them about this 'White Wolf', and yet still others saw a juicy story waiting to be unraveled.

"So this 'White Wolf' eats their victims?" One such female reporter inquired.

"Yes. This individual is part of a Grimm cult known as 'Dark of the Moon'. They worship the Grimm as the true saviors of the planet, and in some cases take efforts to become closer to their 'gods'." He said, practically spitting out the word.

"Until this point they've been relatively small and restricted their more…extreme…activities to outside the city limits. With the actions of the 'White Wolf'…this has changed." The commissioner explained.

"What are you doing about this threat to keep this city safe?" A reporter questioned.

"Since this deranged murderer is a huntsman-tier threat, we are activating all Watchman squads onto a higher level of preparedness. All officers are being put on high alert, and regular patrols will be circulating around high-risk areas. Rest assured, we're doing everything we can to keep all of you safe." The Commissioner said, giving brief details of his plan.

"But we can't do it alone, we need your help. We need the citizens of Vale help. We need to you keep a look out and report suspicious activity. We need you to lookout for your neighbors and fellow man. We need to come together as a community to protect one another. This thing only strikes at night form the shadows, only hitting targets of opportunity. That means it's afraid of the light, and it's out duty, as the City of Vale, to drag this intruder out into the light and bring it to justice!" Commissioner Caldwell declared resolutely, slamming his fist down on the podium for emphasis.

And the audience responded to his call to arms, rising up for a standing ovation as pride and righteous fury burned within them. A chorus of flashes went off as everyone scrambled to get a picture of the heroic commissioner. Instead of basking in the glory, as his predecessors might have, he simply returned to his ever present serious frown.

He wasn't in it for the glory, after all.

But beyond the crowd, beyond the cameras, and watching from behind a screen, a pair of eyes narrowed as they watched and heard. A set of red lips turned down ever so slightly, billions of neurons fired in frantic thought.

_This…is a problem._

* * *

**Blake pov**

_Why can't anything ever be simple?_ I questioned as I lay on my bed.

It was Friday night, an entire week since Weiss had come to me, and I was still mulling it over. Hell, I was still getting over the shock that _Schnee_ was asking to form a sort of alliance with me between our teams. It was….surreal.

Since I left the White Fang, I didn't consider them to be the mortal enemies of all Faunus anymore, but I didn't exactly hold them in a terribly positive light either. Still, as much as her family had done to Faunus, the White Fang had taken its own pound of flesh in return.

_Something I had a hand in_ I admitted silently.

Still, that was then, this is now, and now, I was trying to turn over a new leaf, make up for what I did in some small way, and actually make a positive difference in the world. Maybe this was God's way of giving me a way to do that?

Still, I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to ally with Weiss. If I was closer to her that meant it was just that much more likely that she would find out what I was and what I had done. And I doubted that even if she was the most forgiving saint that she would be able to ignore that.

Then again, I have felt more cynical since I left the White Fang.

But there were a number of other things, all competing for my attention.

My attention was taken from me when I heard a knock on the door to the dorm. I got up to go get it, but found Pyrrha standing in front of the open door, having already responded to it. She looked like she was talking to someone, but I couldn't tell what they were saying. It sounded like they were talking in native Mistralian, with Pyrrha talking to someone who sounded excited and male.

After a moment, she paused, and turned to me. The fact she was aware of my presence at all was a little unnerving, but the passive look her dark emerald eyes gave sent a shiver down my spine.

"I'll be back." She said, and without another word, she left out the door.

I never got to see the man she was talking to.

_That was…odd_ I blinked.

But it didn't seem to have anything to do with me, and Pyrrha didn't seem concerned or in trouble, so I was confident she could handle it. So, I went back to my room to read return o my thoughts.

Not five minutes later, there was a knock on the door to my room.

I resisted the urge to groan, and got up to answer it. I already knew who it was, there was only one other person in the house right now.

"Jaune, what do you want?" I asked, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice.

"Uh…hey Blake. I was wondering if we could talk about something." He said slowly and nervously.

* * *

"So what did you want to talk about?" I asked, now lounging on the comfortable chair in the common area.

"It's…it's about Pyrrha." He said, sitting on the couch.

"Pyrrha?" I repeated, wondering what this was about.

"Yeah…" He trailed off, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"I'm sure you've noticed how she's been acting…differently…for a while now." He continued.

Differently was an understatement. Ever since Monday morning, Pyrrha has acted like a stone cold killer and it's sent every instinct I have on edge.

Actually, now that I thought about it, it actually started Sunday night.

…After Jaune and Pyrrha got back.

… _oh_

"I….I think that might be my fault." He admitted.

"Jaune…what did you do?" I asked very carefully and dangerously.

"Blake…I…I…I messed up." He said, hanging his head in shame.

"Pyrrha went up to talk to me about training me to help me get better a-and I just spat in her face and told her to fuck off." He confessed

"You did _what_?" I seethed.

It didn't take a much to see that Pyrrha had a…thing…for Jaune. I'm not sure if I'd call it a crush, not yet, but she seemed to have some feelings for him. And if she tried to help him, only to get a slap to the face and a punch to the gut, then it was pretty obvious it wouldn't end well.

"I know, I know. After I did it Lilith came to see me and she already gave me a huge rant after I explained it to her. She really made me feel like a piece of shit." He said.

"Which, I guess I am." He said with a weak, self-depreciating chuckle.

Then he looked back up at me, his eyes slightly red and watery. "So after that, I went looking for her to apologize, but when I found her…she was like she is now. She wouldn't talk to me, even when I tried to apologize to her." He explained.

"I think she's still mad at me, but I don't know how to make it up to her, how to make her feel better or go back to normal. I don't know how to fix this"

"Blake…I need your help." He said, looking in my eyes, desperately hoping I would have an answer.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a clue.

"Jaune…" I sighed, bringing my hand to my face in exasperation.

"I don't even know where to begin."

"Yeah…that's what Lilith said too." Jaune sighed.

"No, I mean I don't even know where to begin to fix this. Pyrrha won't even give you, or really any of us, the time of day. It's like she's a whole other person. Do you know how bad it would have to be for her to be like that?" I asked

"Uh…no?" He responded, unsure

"Neither do I." I pointed out. "I've never really been a people person, I have no idea what to do for this."

"B-but you're a girl too, you have to have some idea?" He asked.

"Really Jaune?" I questioned with an unamused look.

"…No." He said with a heavy sigh.

"I have seven sisters, I feel like I should know _something_ about this." He moaned

"Well you knew enough to apologize. Lots of people don't have it in them to do even that." I told him in an effort to comfort him a bit.

I pointedly tried not to think about the fact that I was one of them.

"But apparently, that's not good enough." He said despondently, his spirits still in a pit of despair.

"Jaune, I would love to help and get Pyrrha back in good spirits, but, well, we just don't know enough about her. There isn't a "one size fits all" solution that will work for every person." I explained to him softly and calmly, trying to impress upon him how serious I was.

And I was.

The fact was, we really didn't know much of anything about Pyrrha beyond her recorded fights. I had thought I had known enough about her personality make a judgment call about it back during initiation, but it kept changing, adding new variables to throw everything off. She could be sweet, kind, and strong, or cold, deadly, and sadistic. At this point it wouldn't be stretch for me to think that if Jaune continued to pressure Pyrrha into forgiving him, that she might assault him.

_Wait a minute…_

_That's it, that's the problem._

_Knowledge_ I realized.

We knew almost nothing about each other as a team, and we barely bonded at all. We weren't exactly enemies at each other's throats, at least we weren't until Jaune pissed Pyrrha off, but we certainly weren't a unified team either. We needed something to help bring us together.

We needed to bond.

And as I thought about what Lt. Niflheim had brought up earlier this week, I had the perfect idea.

"Jaune…I actually think I have a solution." I said, my eyes lighting up with the idea, plans within plans spinning in my mind as it went into an excited overdrive.

"You do?" He perked up, surprised by my turnaround.

"Yes, I do." I affirmed, actually allowing myself to grin at the idea.

"Jaune, we're going to go on a team bonding experience." I began.

"We're going shopping."

* * *

**? pov**

I stood in front of the door, checking and rechecking the piece of paper with the number scrawled on it, just to make sure I had the right room. Taking a breath, I gathered myself up, and knocked on the door.

And to my wonderful surprise, the person I was looking for opened the door.

She was a tall girl with scarlet hair and emerald eyes. She wore a bronze headdress and, oddly enough, the boy's school uniform. Which is to say pants instead of a skirt.

"Pyrrha!" I exclaimed in joyful recognition.

Pyrrha, surprised by my appearance, widened her eyes and recoiled slightly.

"Master Sahib?" She said quizzically with a puzzled face.

I failed to conceal the twitch born from her _once again_ calling me master.

Still, there was something…different…about her voice. It sounded…rougher. Deeper maybe.

I passed it off as just my imagination.

"Can I come in?' I asked, gesturing to her dorm,

"Or perhaps somewhere where we can get more privacy." I suggested.

I saw her hesitate and pause in thought.

"…We should go somewhere else." She said finally.

* * *

It didn't take long for Pyrrha to lead me to a more secluded spot. Once there, I began to speak more plainly and openly.

"So Pyrrha, you told me you were having some problems. You were having headaches, hallucinations, someone stole all your stuff." I began

"Even another blackout," I finished with a frown, concerned.

She stopped again, looking at me thoughtfully and carefully, trying to figure out how to respond.

Then, finally, she sighed, looking down as she appeared to rub her eyes. When she looked up, those once forest emerald eyes were replaced by bloody crimson ones.

"…I'm…not Pyrrha. Not…exactly." She said finally.

"What?" I blinked.

_Her eyes, they're just like they were before. But that hasn't happened for years_ I thought in confusion.

At seeing my confusion, she decided to try to elaborate.

"I'm…her other. She calls on me when I'm needed usually. But…I've been asleep for a very long time. Last I can remember you had bought me, tried to enroll me in a combat school, which got mixed results." She tried to explain.

"And that was years ago." She added with a frown.

"Wait…are you saying you can't remember anything?" I wondered fearfully, struggling to find sense in all this.

_Does she have amnesia?_

It…it kind of made sense. She was acting more like she did when I first managed to get her from that woman. Perhaps she had a…total amnesiac relapse of some kind.

She paused again, frowning in thought as she did her best to try to figure out how to explain it.

"…Kind of." She said finally.

"Pyrrha" I sighed, "What _do_ you remember about these last several years?"

This time she sighed in annoyance.

"No, you don't understand. I'm not Pyrrha, not…exactly, anyway." She said with a shake of her head.

"huh?" I blinked, raising my brow in confusion.

"Pyrrha and I are…we're like two sides of the same coin. Only one side can be up at a time. The other is…asleep. And I've been asleep for a long time." She explained.

Now I was really confused.

_What on earth could she be-wait_ I wondered, before an idea came to mind.

_What if…_

"Are you…that…other…she talked about?" I asked.

It was all starting to make sense. Pyrrha used to talk about not being herself sometimes. I thought she just meant her mood swings, which were fairly severe, but…maybe it wasn't just mood swings. Maybe it was something else.

And looking at the person before me now, I could see the differences. The way she talked, her posture, her style of dress for god's sakes. None of that is even including her red eyes replacing Pyrrha's own green.. It was all very different from the Pyrrha I knew.

"So she did know." Pyrrha murmured.

"Know what?"

"About me. I thought she did. But if she did, then she would have known that the headaches, the blackout, that was all normal." She explained with a furrowed brow.

"So you do exist." I murmured, awed by the reality of it.

In response, she just gave me a puzzle depression

I sighed, "I can't just keep calling both of you Pyrrha. I remember she called you something, what was it." I asked.

"I…don't really have a name." She admitted

"Wait, what?" I said, confused.

_I could have sworn she called her other…something._

"Never really cared about my name much." She added.

"Though, I guess for simplicities sake, you can just call me Kokkinos." She finally said.

"Kokkinos." I repeated with a frown.

_Her old name. I wonder what that means, if she'd rather have her old name._

So, with another sigh, I began again. "So…Kokkinos… do you remember a doctor? A psychiatrist."

She blinked, frowning again in thought.

"…Vaguely." She finally responded.

"Well, I took you to that doctor to try and…undo some damage Lady Agathe had done to you." I explained.

I took her silent raised brow as an invitation to continue.

"When I took you in, you were…you weren't in a very good place mentally. You had lots of mood swings, going from cold, to energetic, to scared and withdrawn. You were also often very violent." I elaborated.

Then, I chuckled as I remembered something.

"I actually tried to channel that into more productive ventures by trying to get you to be a hunter like I was. So I sent you to a combat school. First day of school they had spars, and you sent a boy 4 years older than you to the hospital with two broken arms." I laughed. At the time, it was horrifying, but now…not so much.

"I remember that day." She murmured.

"That was you?' I questioned

"He wasn't very good." She answered blankly.

"You could have gone easy on him" I sighed.

"The only mercy is death." She calmly said.

"Wait, you tried to kill him?" I asked, bewildered.

"Not at first." She answered

"And this is why I took you to the Psych." I said with a sigh.

"You were violent, aggressive, took things too far. Lady Agathe's indoctrination taken its toll on you. So I tried to fix that, to try and fix you." I explained.

"Fix me?" Kokkinos repeated.

"Yeah..." I began, looking out into the forest beneath us.

"In the end, we used lots of techniques including hypnotherapy and drugs to repress many of your memories of your past. You, or, well, Pyrrha, still knew that she had been Lady Agathe's slave, and vaguely what she did, but it wasn't as…fresh, or intimate for her. They didn't affect her as badly." I expounded.

"So I thought it worked." I finished.

"But instead you separated us…" Kokkinos mused.

"Yup." I agreed

"But…what caused you to come out again? For it all to break down?" I asked

"Well…" She began, thinking about it.

"A giant scorpion tried to kill me. Twice." She said

_What_

"And it nearly worked. Twice." She added

"Wait, what?" I said verbally this time.

"But I don't really know what brought me out this time. Or why I've stayed out." She wondered out loud, too lost in thought to notice me.

"Stayed out?" I repeated, confused by what she meant by that.

Looking at me, she frowned, and said, "Ever since Sunday night, I've been the one awake. Which is…unusual. Normally I only come out when she needs me, or things get to stressful or intense for her. But…never this long." She explained.

"Wait, so Pyrrha's…asleep?" I asked, concerned.

"And I have no idea when she's going to come back again." Kokkinos responded with an annoyed frown.

"I see…" I said with a frown.

"Well…I guess I have a responsibility to you too." I said with a sigh.

"What?" Kokkinos asked.

"When I took you in, I took responsibility for _all_ of you, not just the nicest side of you." I said.

"So you aren't going to seal me away again?" She asked with a cautious expression.

"Seal you away?" I asked, confused and concerned.

In response, she gave me a flat, unamused, look.

"Oh…right." I said sheepishly, scratching the back of my head.

_I kind of did seal her away the first chance I got. Even if it was accidentally_ I realized.

"Sorry for that, I just…I just wanted to try to help you." I explained. "I just wanted to give you the chance at being a normal girl, of being happy. So I tried to fix you."

She responded with a silently raised eyebrow.

"So, I guess I need to try to find a way to be more…accommodating… to you. _All_ of you." I admitted.

She hummed in acknowledgment.

"So then, since I've denied you for all your life, and Pyrrha's still asleep, I'll try to help you first." I began

_Still going to have to get used to this whole "multiple personality" thing_ I added silently.

"Help me?" She questioned

"Yup, you deserve the chance to try and be a normal girl too, and not just a weapon like the one Lady Agathe made you to be." I continued.

I took her silent questioning look to mean, _"what does that even mean?"_ Which was a great question.

Because I didn't know.

Frankly, I'm not entirely sure what I was trying to turn Pyrrha, Kokkinos, them, into. I just knew that the way they were now was wrong, so painfully painfully wrong. And I wanted to try to fix it. To give them a shot of happiness, of living as their own person, and not someone else's tool. To make friends, comrades, find love…

_Love…_ I thought.

_That's it_

She was on a team, so she'd probably become friends with them eventually, but love…love might be able to open her heart up.

"Kokkinos, I order you…" I began

"To find a date to the prom!" I finished, pointing to her with a dazzlingly triumphant smile.

_A brilliant idea if I do say so myself_ I thought, mentally patting myself on the back.

If she found a date, I had no doubt that it would help open her heart up. Besides, what girl didn't want a date to the prom?

…

Ok, I'll admit, I'm not an expert on girls.

_But what could go wrong?_ I thought.

Then I looked at Kokkinos's blatantly confused face.

"A what?" She asked with an utterly befuddled expression.

_Oh this is going to take a while_

* * *

**Jack pov**

"So you saw the White Wolf? Up close and personal?" Robin asked me

"Oh yeah." I responded, taking a large gulp of my drink.

"And?" He prodded.

"Scariest fucking thing I've seen in my life." I admitted without an inch of shame.

"Really?" He recoiled, surprised.

"Uhuh. Hell, I'm glad it ran. I honestly don't know if I could have taken it on my own." I added.

"That bad?" He inquired, leaning over the table in bar.

We were sitting in the Bloody Nose Bar, a favorite of the West Vale officers for decades due to its proximity to the station. In fact, as we spoke, many men and women in blue were sitting in tables around us.

"That motherfucker managed to combine all three factors of Beowolves, Ursa, and Boarbatusks, and managed to enhance them to insane levels. It was bulletproof, strong enough to rip a man in half like he was made of paper, and fast as hell." I explained to him, gesturing my bottle at him as I did.

"So you're saying it's invincible or something?" he queried, taking a sip from his own.

"Nah, I know team 4 could take it out. I mean, it ran when it heard reinforcements, that means it has to have some sense of fear, which meant it isn't invincible." I countered.

"'Sides, we're the best damn Watchman team this side of the mountains." I added, full of drunk confidence.

"Don't let Arthur hear that, he might get sad." A voice said from behind me, clapping me on the shoulder.

Turning, I met the smirking face of the fair skinned and sunset haired woman who I knew for a fact could kick my ass ten ways to Sunday.

"Aveline! Good of you to join us!" Robin exclaimed with a wide smile.

"Yeah, I didn't have much to do so I decided to join Ymir here." She answered, gesturing to the giant behind her.

"I see you started without me," Ymir said dryly

"You took too long," Robin answered.

"Eh, I ran into the detective while I was on my way here," Ymir said with an apathetic shrug as the two of them took seats at the table

"So how's teaching treating you?" I asked

In response, Ymir gave a long suffering sigh.

"Aveline…I have no idea how you turned out so well from that academy." He finally said.

"Hey, don't mock my alma matter. Beacon is great." She defended with a frown.

"It's _soft_." Ymir countered.

"The freshmen are. Beacon starts kinda soft, easing the students into it, but by the junior year things are pretty intense, and all that keeps them from being _actual_ huntsmen is their maturity and experience." Aveline explained.

"Do you miss it?" I asked, genuinely curios.

Aveline was on the fast track to becoming a renowned huntsmen with her team. Then she threw it all away to work for the police. The why of it is something of a secret to all but her closest friends.

"Well…" She sighed "I kind of miss the simplicity of it. As intense as it was, it was all black and white. Kill Grimm, protect humanity. The problem was, I was ignorant of how much humanity had to be protected from themselves."

"Do you still keep in contact with your friends?" Robin asked.

"Unfortunately not." She answered with a sad smile, "Once they all knew I was working with 'evil watchmen' I become alienated. Made me realize how much I must have really meant to them if that's all it took."

"Awe, well don't worry Aveline, we wouldn't abandon you even if you did decide to become one of those selfish, money grubbing, elitist, arrogant, holier-than-thou, pompous, dickish, undisciplined, glory-hounding, backwards-minded-" I began to rant.

"Jack." She interrupted

"-huh?"

"I get it." She said with a small smile.

"Oh…" I blinked. "I wasn't finished."

"I have noticed the more senior students are a better…" Ymir trailed off, getting back on the earlier topic.

"But they're still immature?" Aveline guessed.

"Yes." Ymir grumbled.

"Yeah, that's kind of part of Beacon's goal. They want to train the kids into huntsmen, not weapons." Aveline explained.

"You can't give children the weapons and strength to take on an army and not give them the discipline and sense of responsibility needed to go along with it, it's irresponsible," Ymir argued.

"I know, and many of the kids kind of treat it as a game, even after taking a large number of missions on through school. They're just in it for the glory and money, not to protect humanity." She sighed.

"In the end, Beacon really just tries to combine college and warrior training." Aveline summarized.

"Is that why you decided to become a detective instead?" Robin asked, looking at Aveline with genuine interest.

"It's a reason." She said evasively

"And how do plan on doing that?" I asked mostly for the sake of argument.

"I got rid of the honey trip," Ymir said with a proud grin that promised glory and pain.

"You what," Aveline said blankly with wide eyes.

"The what?" I questioned.

"The honey trip, it's a yearly tradition for the freshmen after initiation. They go on a trip to Forever Fall, collect some sap from the trees, and try not to piss off the rapier wasps or occasional Grimm." Aveline explained distractedly

"Also known as a trip for pansies" Ymir interjected.

Aveline opened her mouth in protest, but paused, before promptly closing it, and shrugging.

"Fair enough."

"So what are you replacing it with?" Robin asked, now curious what the Atlesian giant had in mind for his students.

"A week long camping trip to Mt. Glen." He proudly declared with a smile.

"Ozpin's probably not going to like that," Aveline warned.

"Actually, he loved it." Ymir shot back

Aveline gave him a confused look, before snapping her fingers and saying, "Right, I forgot he was crazy."

"I'm hoping to use this trip to put things in perspective for them, as well as learning about their survival skills. From what I've seen, all they can do is swing their pointy sticks around and shoot things. It takes more than that to be a hunstmen," Ymir explained.

"Hmm, that makes sense." I hummed in agreement.

"Normally they'd wait until the second semester to have them do anything even approaching that. That's pretty ambitious, Ymir." Aveline commented.

"I like it." She grinned.

"Well, I'm glad it gets your seal of approval." Ymir flatly responded.

"Hey, any idea how long you'll be working there?" Robin asked.

"Not really." Ymir answered with a shrug, "They're giving me a trial year there to see if it works out, but they haven't said what they'll do if I don't muck it all up."

"Hmm…well, since you and Jack are both occupied with other assignments-"robin began

"Don't forget Mila." Aveline interrupted.

Robin gave her a look before continuing, "…and Mila…I have been given a special task of my own."

"Oh?" I said with a raised brow "Finally done sitting around twiddling your thumbs?"

"Yup, I've been put on recon duty, to hunt down the White Wolf." He announced.

"You what?" I said with wide eyes.

"Yeah, that kind of why I asked you about it in the first place." He explained.

"Robin, that thing is a monster, it will rip you apart. If you see it, run." I said, trying to impress upon him the importance of my words.

"Oh, I plan on it. In fact, that's one of the reasons they thought I would be perfect for the job. The rest of my team is tied up doing other things, and I'm a stealth and reconnaissance specialist." He elaborated.

"That is true…" I said with a sigh.

"Rosientoter, it sounds like you lack confidence in our leader's abilities." Ymir stated with an innocent expression.

"Yeah Jack, you should have faith in Robin's ability." Aveline conspired as she looked at me.

"His ability to run away, that is." She finished as she smirked at him.

"Ha ha, very funny." Robin said flatly.

We all laughed at his expense, but he got his in return as the night went on. The drinking continued, the good cheer grew, and we all felt the comradery rise. It was a great long night, one I was glad I had off. We left in high spirits, and I headed home, to warm bed where Mary lay waiting.

* * *

**Kokkinos pov**

_Why?_ I thought, a flare of fury rising up within me as I struck the target.

I had gone into one of the training arenas to beat on the practice targets there. They were little more than decorated inanimate dummy's, but they served their purpose well enough. I came here seeking to vent my frustration from the way my life was turning out now, and more prevalently, Master Sahib's orders.

" _I order you to find a date to the prom"_ He told me.

That had started a two hour long discussion about what that even meant.

* * *

"So…you want me to find a sexual partner?" I asked, making sure I got it.

"No no no!" He exclaimed, waving his hands in denial as his face twisted in horror.

"So it has nothing to do with sex?" I asked again, still trying to get a handle on it.

"No. Well, yes, kind of, but not really. It's romance, not lust. It's related to sex, but, it's different." He tried to explain, "You know what I mean."

I had no idea what he meant.

And my blank stare told him as much.

He gave a heavy sigh as he turned to the wall, combing a hand through his hair.

"Ok, so, you know sexual attraction? How men like women and women like men?" He began

"Er, not to say a woman can't like another woman." He hastily amended. "Or…a man another man, I guess. If you're into that."

My only response was to continue to stare at him blankly, as I had no idea where he was going with this.

"Well, it's based off that, but it's more than just a physical attraction. It's love, and one of the most powerful forces in the universe." He said.

_That sounds like bullshit_ I thought as I raised an eyebrow.

"It's something that combines the body mind and soul's desires into one. Once you have it, it's the most wonderful thing in the world." He continued.

I just gave him a skeptical brow, silently giving him my opinion on the matter.

He sighed again at my lack of understanding, before beginning again from a different angle.

* * *

_And I still have barely any idea what he meant!_ I raged internally

_I barely have a grasp on the very_ _ **concept**_ _of sexual attraction, and now he tells me about this thing that's similar but not? Something even more complicated then something I still can't fully wrap my head around? And he expects me to follow his orders with these vague instructions?!_ I continued, gritting my teeth in anger.

_I ought to tear out his throat for his incompetence!_

_He doesn't use me properly, nor does he understand my purpose in life!_

My fist clenched tightly around Milo's sword grip as my blood boiled at the thought of the soft fool. There was no steel in him, no resolve like there was in Lady Agathe. He was weak, and he was unworthy of being my master.

I would have him suffer for his failings, for his weakness. I would rip out his throat with my own teeth, tear him limb from limb, bathe in his blood as the life drained from his eyes! I would end him for this slight, I would see him-!

_Creak!_

I stopped, feeling a worrisome give in my blade. I looked down and opened my hand to see the cause, and to my further displeasure, I found it.

In my rage, I had managed to crush Milo's handle in my grip. Had this been an ordinary sword, this wouldn't have been too much of a problem, but considering it was a hunter weapon…

_And it's broken_ I thought, pressing the buttons to shift its form to no avail. The blade was still fine, as was most of the sword, but it seemed to be stuck in sword form.

_What is wrong with me?_ I thought with a growl and a shake of my head.

The urges, the rage inside was only getting worse.

_How could I think such traitorous thoughts about my own master? Sure, he isn't Mistress Agathe, but he is still my master, and I his slave. I am his to command as he sees fit. Even if his orders are…unorthodox, or in efficient. It is not my place to question why._ I thought firmly.

Deep down, however, I knew many of the things I had thought I believed in. I did think him weak, I did think him foolish, but to want to kill him for it?

_I need to get a handle on this_ I frowned, _and soon, because this is unacceptable. _I thought as I looked at my damaged weapon with concern, forcing my body to relax.

As much as I was…confused…by master Sahib's newest orders, I would follow them to the best of my ability. The vagueness of them simply meant I had to…creative…in how I handled the situation.

_At least it wasn't all bad_ I thought, attempting to, as they say, "look on the bright side".

_And now I have at least_ _ one _ _reliable weapon._

* * *

"You want _what_?" Master Sahib questioned in disbelief.

"My blades. I had more than just my sword and shield." I reiterated.

"I…no." He began, looking for the words, before finding his denial.

"They are terrible weapons with the blood of children, just like yourself, on them." He explained, "I don't want you anywhere near them."

I raised a brow skeptically, "They were quality blades that have saved my life an untold number of times." I defended.

"Those were bloody weapons of the old you, you're trying to turn over a new leaf. It's why I gave you Akuou and Milo in the first place." He countered.

I neglected to mention that he was just trying to make me turn over a new leaf, and instead gave him a heavy frown that silently impressed upon him how much bullshit I thought was in that argument.

Glancing away, unable to bear my gaze, which I found to be a sign of weakness, he added, "I don't even have them on me."

I sighed in disappointment at the knowledge that I wouldn't be getting my blades any time soon. Shame, they truly were exquisite.

_Still…_

"May I have yours, master?" I asked

"Wait, what?" He asked, thrown off guard by the question.

"May I have your knife? I've seen you use it before, and I know you have it on you. It's a quality blade, and it should work just as well as one of my others." I explained.

He frowned, not liking the implications of it. Then, slowly, he reached down to his belt, and pulled a sheathed blade from it. The hilt of the blade was golden with a multi-faced head of a deity as the pommel. The sheath itself was ebony with gold on the edges. Despite its apparent opulence, it was actually an incredibly high quality and deadly blade. But by far, the most glaring detail about it, was it's shape.

It was bent in the middle.

It was a Kukri blade, one that Master Sahib said had been in his family for generations. Something that was supposed to hold some significance. As far as I was concerned it was an incredibly efficient and wickedly curved blade. As much as I was at home using a sword and shield, I never truly felt comfortable without a knife, especially one as fine as his obsidian blade.

He held it in his hand for a moment, considering what he was about to do, before slowly holding out to me. When I grasped hold of the sheath, he looked me in the eye, and asked, "Do you remember the order I gave you before you came to Beacon?"

"Do not kill anyone at school." I recited.

"You have followed that order?" He continued, his voice carrying a weight not there before.

"Yes, master." I said on reflex, the seriousness of his voice bringing me back to attention.

He grimaced, but continued on, "You swear not to kill anyone with this blade?" He asked.

"You would leave me defenseless?" I questioned with wide eyes. I'd never been ordered not to do anything like that. It felt…uncomfortable, to be honest, to be given a weapon I wasn't allowed to use to its fullest. To be ordered not to kill under any circumstances.

He frowned again, before restating his position, "Unless you have no other choice, and yours or someone else's life is on the line, you swear not to kill?"

"That is an order." I more stated than asked.

"Yes." He affirmed with narrow eyes.

"It will be done, master." I answered, bowing my head.

I could practically hear him scowling at me as he sighed, another sign of his reluctance to take his position as my master.

"I suppose that's the best I can hope for." He said.

* * *

We talked for a little while after that, mostly master Sahib trying to get a read on me as a person. He didn't seem as happy as I thought he would when I told him what I did to the group of boys that tried to kill me. He seemed very displeased at what he saw as overkill, and told me they probably weren't trying to kill me. At the same time, however, he had to admit that it was a…sign of progress…that I left them alive on my own accord. I didn't have to say, but he knew I would have personally preferred killing them.

In the end, He left a little after midnight, and said that he'd be staying in Vale for a week before heading back to Mistral.

Then I came here to blow off some steam, only for this to happen, which was not helping.

_I need sleep_ I decided.

It was late, probably after 3 in the morning. Normally I preferred getting up at absurd times, but I could do what was necessary. Hopefully I would be able to make sense of all this madness when I woke up.

Still, it brought to mind another thought.

_How the hell am I going to find a so-called "date" to this so-called "prom"?_

* * *

**? pov**

I was walking around the city at night, just like he had ordered me to. At first he said he wanted me to look as innocent, non-threatening, and weak as possible. Then he paused, and said, "Nevermind, just act normal.". Still unsure as to what he meant by that, but orders are orders.

And it was my first official assignment!

It was so exciting!

Apparently he had gotten information that the "White Wolf" was a bit more than the Commissioner had let on, and that it might actually be a Grimm as was earlier rumored. If that _was_ the case, then it needed to be put down, but handle discreetly and with care. So he sent me to look for it, and eliminate if possible.

It was what I was made for, after all.

And as a result, I found myself walking through the isolated and disreputable parts of Vale on the lookout for anything suspicious related to my mission.

Funnily enough, a number of people had come up to me wondering if I was for sale or if I wanted to have some fun with them. One person even asked if I wanted candy!

As much as I had heard about candy, I unfortunately couldn't eat something like that.

And as much as I would like to have fun, I had a mission to do right now.

I also wasn't for sale, and wasn't entirely sure what they meant by that.

So unfortunately I had to decline each and every one of them. Some of them didn't seem to appreciate my answer very much. But don't worry, I showed them the error of their ways in a sufficiently efficient manner.

But that was hours ago. Right now, it was the dead of night, 3:30 am, and this area of town was dead silent. Even the most active people seemed to be asleep. Only the center city still seemed to be alive.

If I was a normal person, I might have found it all eerie.

The complete silence and absence of all life.

The way the moon hung high in air, its light shining down and casting bottomless shadows on everything.

Then I noticed it.

There was something in those shadows. Something following me, watching me. Every time I tried to get a glance at it, it seemed to disappear, to melt into the darkness. Another person might have questioned if it was even real.

But I knew it was there, and I suspected it was my target.

So I kept my weapons primed, ready to face it should it attack.

It was to my surprise, however, when I rounded the next corner, that I saw it.

The White Wolf

It had to be.

My retinal sensors could scarcely believe it, but what else could it be. It looked like a giant white Beowolf.

And it was just standing in the middle of the street, looking at me. It's slivery white fur reflecting the light off it much like the shattered moon in the sky.

I blinked, my process trying to take in this unexpected event, and figure out a response.

Finally I smiled, gave it a wave, and cheerily said, "Salutations!"

The Wolf tilted its head in response, inspecting me itself.

"Prepare to die!" I continued, drawing my swords from their storage pack, having them circle around me in preparation to strike.

Then the Wolf righted itself, and…grinned. That was the only possible thing I could identify it as. Everything in my memory banks and processors called it a grin, but it still felt off on its face, like it wasn't a perfect fit.

Then its form seemed to shudder, and it jumped.

To a human, it might have appeared that it disappeared, but not to my retinal sensors. Still, it was fast, really fast. It had an acceleration comparable to a .22 caliber bullet, and the speed to match. I watched as it soared into the air, before landing on a rooftop in the distance. It stopped to look at me from over 100 meters away, and I blinked, processing the data I had gathered.

Then I grinned, sent power to the servos in my legs, and jumped myself.

The chase was on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> he Manhunt for the White Wolf has begun, but how will it end?
> 
> Also, Blake has made plans for team bonding, which people brought up last scene about Team ANBL lacking.
> 
> Which is true, and I had planned for.
> 
> Oh, and I decided to actually kind of throw you guys a bone after all this time playing coy as fuck with Pyrrha and Kokkinos. And if you want a good idea of what Sahib looks like, then you can kind of imagine Henry Green from AC: Syndicate. It's not exactly a perfect match, but it's close enough.
> 
> Also, the opinions said during the bar scene do not reflect my own, only the opinions of the people at the bar.
> 
> Oh, and Penny's finally showed up. I can't quite tell yet if RWBY fans actually like Penny, like making Penny death puns, or like to be sad she died.


	27. Scene 27: It's a New Life for Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team ANBL goes on a shopping and bonding trip, but unfortunately for them, nothing goes according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Red and Nik for their help with this, Nik in particular for his Russian.

**Blake pov**

_I really hope this was actually a good idea_ I thought as I looked up from my book for a moment.

I had sent messages to Lilith and Pyrrha telling them my plan, or, well, that we were going to go on a team shopping trip to the city. I considered asking if they could come, but then I thought that it was about time I started acting more like a leader and being more assertive.

Pyrrha had agreed. Well, she grunted and nodded in what I assume was agreement.

Lilith had yet to actually respond, but considering it was Lilith, I couldn't actually tell if that was a yes or no.

And I already knew Jaune was coming, just like I knew he was probably going to be late.

So here I found myself in the transit station waiting for both the rest of my team and the next airship to get here. I had decided on two times. One for if everyone was on time and it all went great, and another for if everyone was late.

So far it looked like we were going with plan B.

Still, I'm glad I had the foresight to plan for that, and as such I had brought a book.

Psychology was quickly becoming my favorite class, much to my surprise. The first assignment we were given was to read Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, a book I had already started reading on my free time. It was a relatively recent book, only coming out a few years ago, but it had become something of an instant classic, and it was easy to see why. Dr. Enyo had planned in the syllabus for us to finish the book in 3 weeks and talk about it.

I had finished it in one.

In fact, I was still so enthralled by the book I read it again, before actually going ahead and writing the little reflection on it Dr. Enyo wanted us to do. Unfortunately that left me with little to read.

Until I went to the rest of the list of books she wanted us to read.

And now I was on the 3rd book on the list, Frankenstien, or the Modern Prometheus. It was written by the same mysterious author who wrote Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, and they took place in the same general fictional world called "Earth", specifically in the region known as "Europe". In my opinion, it was even better than the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

I was torn from my thoughts when a particular scent crossed my node.

 _It's her_ I thought, recognizing it.

It was...overpowering, perhaps, was the right word. Though honestly, it didn't feel like that did it justice. At this point, I was actually starting to consider that the smell might not be entirely...physical. She just had a...presence...now that was practically unprecedented. An ambient field of tightly contained bloodlust and fury. Something I had really only felt from one other person.

Adam.

But even then, it was never directed at me, it was never like this. It was there, but there was never any danger of him hurting his comrades, it was always focused on one thing.

Humans.

This, however, was different. It was like it was ready and waiting to strike out at anything and everything that gave her the slightest reason.

And I had to find out how to bond with that.

 _Great_.

So, resisting my own instincts desire to take a knife and plunge it in other her eye, I simply glanced up at her.

 _And wow she's closer than I thought_ I realized.

She was right next to me, in fact. Her overpowering scent and presence must have overloaded my senses, and essentially jammed them from telling me where she actually was.

_A distressing realization_

Still, she did nothing beyond stand next to me and wait, so I decided to let her, and returned to my book.

So Jaune arrived, followed by, to my surprise, Lilith, who just wanted to get on the plane. Jaune suggested walking but took it back when the three of us glared at him for it.

* * *

**Later**

The ride was short and filled with the sound of Jaune holding it in. Well, that and the uncomfortable silence born from seeing Pyrrha staring daggers into Jaune the entire time he did it.

But fortunately we arrived soon enough, and we didn't have to deal with it anymore. And now that we were here, it was actually time to begin.

"So then, where to first?" I asked, trying to get them all involved.

Before anyone else could answer, Pyrrha spoke up for the first time in a week.

"Clothes."

I don't think I've ever felt such dread from the word "clothes" ever before. Nor do I think I will again. Her voice was no longer th4 soft melodic tone it was before. Now it was harsh, rough, and deeper. Not male, not really, and it didn't seem to mismatch with her appearance.

But that didn't make it any less jarring to hear the sound of rockslide come from this girl's mouth.

"…What?" I finally said, breaking out of my thoughts.

"Clothes." She repeated with that blank frown on her face.

I blinked again as I thought about it, before realizing what she was talking about. Her clothes had been shredded during initiation, and everything she had left had been stolen from her locker. The only clothes she had were her school uniform along with a few other school provided …necessities. All of which I doubted she found very comfortable. Especially with her unusual physique.

"…Right." I slowly said in agreement. Now that I thought of it, I could go for some clothes shopping myself.

"Sounds god to me." Jaune cheerfully agreed.

 _Right, his clothes didn't exactly come out of initiation unmolested either._ I realized.

In fact, the only person who really probably didn't need to go clothes shopping, who was currently giving me an expression that said, "I could not possibly give less of a shit."

"Alright, clothes shopping it is then." I said, leading the way to a nearby clothes store I knew of that would suite our needs.

It was a simple store with nothing really fancy, but it was well within our price range. Or, well, my price range. I couldn't exactly speak for the others.

 _But I doubt they're rolling lien._ I thought.

"Alright, this is the place." I announced.

 _Sarah's Mercy_ it read.

"uh…Blake?" Jaune questioned.

"Hmm?" I responded, turning to him with a quizzical look.

"This…is a, uh, _woman's_ store." He slowly and very uncomfortable said.

"…oh." I blinked, turning back to the store in question.

_Right…forgot about that_

_Sarah's Mercy_ was actually something of a religious store with direct connections to the church. Not being a terribly religious person myself, I didn't care too much or keep too much track of that. What I did appreciate, however, was the store's efforts to help women in need, the lack of discrimination against Faunus, and the affordable prices of the store. It was a very welcoming place that I found a measure of comfort in, and often frequented when I was in need of clothes.

And I totally forgot it was just for women.

Or maybe it was that I forgot Jaune was with us?

Or a man?

"Well…shit." I cursed under my breath, still surprised about my massive oversight.

"….Ok, Jaune, how about this, you wait here, and me and Pyrrha will go in. When we finish, we can go somewhere else." I said after a moment of thought, silently hoping he just agreed to it.

"Well….ok-" Jaune began to agree.

"No."

 _What_ I blinked.

Turning to the source of the voice, I saw Pyrrha doing her best attempt at making the store explode just by glaring at it. Her hands clenched and unclenched, her jaw tensing tightly as I could practically _hear_ the teeth within being ground to dust, and I could swear I saw her dark emerald eyes _glowing_ ever so slightly.

"Uh…" I said dumbly, still getting over her denial.

"Is there a…Murcielago's in this city?" She asked through clenched teeth after a moment of thought.

 _Murcielago's?_ I wondered.

"Huh?" Jaune asked, equally confused.

 _I…I know that name_ I thought, finding it vaguely familiar.

Then it hit me.

"You want to go _there?!_ " I questioned, bewildered by her suggestion.

Pyrrha simply turned to stare at me with a frown. It wasn't as…murderous as the one she had directed at the store, but it didn't seem to kind either.

"Wait, what's wrong with Murcielago's?" Jaune asked

"It's full name is actually Orgullo Del Murciélago, but everyone usually just calls it Murcielago's, and it's basically the highest class clothing store in the city. There's another one store that's equally expensive, _The Golden Butterfly_ , but Murcielago's is more…classy…I suppose you could say. The Golden Butterfly, on the other hand, has lots of flash and is filled with all sorts of absurd high fashion styles." I explained to him.

"Oh, cool," Jaune said, nodding positively at the new information.

"Take me there," Pyrrha said. It was…too open to be an order, but to resolute to be a request.

"Did I mention that it's one of the most high-profile clothing stores in the city?" I asked, not sure why on earth she would want to go there.

In response, she gave me a flat stare that told me that she did not care in the slightest what I thought about it. So, instead of fighting her on it, I just decided to go there to show her myself.

"Fine." I acquiesced

* * *

**Later**

"Here we are. Happy?" I said, slightly annoyed because we had to walk all the way from the southern tip to the central western portion of the city, a not un-noteworthy distance.

But now here we were, standing in front of the double obsidian doors of the black marble building with white highlights. There were no windows to look inside, nothing to really hint what lay within, only its reputation. In fact, if I wasn't so familiar with the city, not to mention my former activities, I probably wouldn't have known about it. The only real identifying mark of the place was the mark of the store etched into the stone above the doors.

The vague silhouette of some sort of man-bat with only its solid white eyes standing out of the darkness it was cloaked in.

Pyrrha gave a shallow nod in affirmation, before walking through the front door.

"Wait! Pyrrha!" I cried, running after her, "You can't just waltz in!"

But when I entered the lobby for the store, I found I was too late.

Pyrrha was standing toward the entrance, giving a flat unamused stare to an attendant dressed in a red suit as she towered over him. The man, on his part, seemed to be equal parts nervous and annoyed as he tried to get her to leave.

"Young lady, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Stare

"This is a very high-profile establishment, perhaps it would be best if you found someplace more…suitable…for someone of your standing." He said again, subtly insulting her.

Stare.

"You are wasting the time of many other valued customers." He frowned darkly, obviously tiring of this.

Stare.

"Young lady, I will ask you one more time to leave on your own accord before I will be forced to have you thrown out of-" He began to fume, barley holding his rage intact, before he was interrupted.

"Robert, what _hell_ are you doing?!" A woman in a matching red maid outfit seethed, briskly walking up to him.

"Jessica?" He recoiled, surprised by her appearance.

"I was just trying to get this…rabble…out of the way." He explained, giving her a disdainful look. One that got him nothing but another blank stare from the girl in question.

Then he noticed me, his eyes flitting to me, then to something behind me, likely Jaune and Lilith.

"Oh great, and she brought more." He frowned.

The woman named as Jessica blinked.

"You what." she said with wide eyes, as if she was trying to wrap her head around the stupidest thing she had ever heard.

"I mean, just look at them. Students from Beacon no doubt. They all look like delinquents. Especially _that_ one." He said, gesturing to Pyrrha.

Inside, I bristled with rage at the things this man was saying about me, my team, and Pyrrha in particular.

 _This is_ _exactly_ _why I didn't want to come here!_ I frowned, the only external sign of my rage.

Murcielago's was very, _very_ , exclusive with its clientele. They were very discriminatory, and it wasn't uncommon for them to turn away people they found to be…disreputable. Faunus especially.

In fact, you couldn't actually see what was inside the store from the lobby as another pair of double doors blocked the way.

"And I don't even know where to begin with that one." He added, gesturing to me.

 _Oh, that is it_. I thought, finally having enough of this shit.

"Come on Pyrrha, let's go." I began, grabbing Pyrrha's arm and about to leave.

Then I heard it.

"Robert, you _idiot_!" Jessica quietly seethed again, absolutely furious.

"What?" Robert said, taken aback.

"Do you have any idea _who that is?_ " She asked, gesturing to Pyrrha.

"Uh…" Robert responded, dumbfounded.

"That's _Pyrrha Nikos_ , a rising star huntress from Mistral. Also known as the 'Invincible Girl'" She explained.

Robert blinked, "I don't see how-"

"Also known as the very _famous_ daughter of the very _rich_ Sahib Nikos." She pointed out to him.

"I…" He began again, trying to recover from Jessica's onslaught.

"Robert, one more word out of you, and you're fired. Go work in the back." She ordered in no uncertain terms.

Robert nodded fearfully before all but fleeing through the double doors into the store proper.

Jessica sighed, straightening out her uniform, before turning to us with an inviting smile.

"Hello, my name is Jessica. Sorry for that, Robert is new. I assure you that it will not happen again." She greeted.

Pyrrha nodded, seemingly satisfied by the action.

"Are these people friends with you, Ms. Nikos?" The woman asked.

Pyrrha turned to us and seemed to consider the word for a minute.

"…Yes." She finally said.

"Well, any friend of a valued customer such as yourself is welcomed in this fine establishment," Jessica smiled.

Pyrrha nodded again.

I, on the other hand, was still stunned by what was happening. While I myself held no dreams of entering the prestigious store, it was something of a strange marker for where I was now. Murcielago's was about as anti-Faunus as you could get without being the SDC, and even that was debatable. They also had ridiculously good security to ensure that they White Fang, or any other Faunus supporters, would be able to sabotage them. But now I was going in there just because Pyrrha was on my team and vouched for me. Not to mention the fact the turnaround from being almost thrown out to being welcomed with open arms.

It was all just…surreal.

We left the black and gold lobby, passed through the double doors, and entered a world of wonder and luxury. The main floor was massive and spacious. There also weren't many people moving around in it, making it surprisingly uncrowded. In fact, it looked like most of them were just staff. There was liberal use of dark wood, black marble, with red highlights and what resembled glowing crystals for light sources

There was a grand staircase in the middle of the room, leading both up and down. In addition, there were three more double doors in the room. One on each side. Above each door was a symbol. A symbol I quickly realized matched the ones of the four kingdoms, minus vale. All in all, the store was _far_ bigger than I had expected.

"As you can see, we cater to every customer's needs and tastes by having different sections containing styles from each of the four kingdoms. Currently, we are in the Vale section, seeing as this is the "home" of this branch." Jessica explained

"Branch?" I questioned, "there's more than just this one?"

"Oh yes," She said with a pleased smile that said she loved correcting people and making them know how ignorant they were.

"There is one Murcielago's branch in each kingdom. This is simply the Vale branch. Each branch saves and shares the list of customers and clientele it receives so that each store knows who is a vied customer. This allows our customers to go to other kingdoms while remaining firm in their knowledge that they will always have a Murcielago's ready to greet them with open arms and cater to their discerning needs." She explained

"That's what _I_ thought." Pyrrha venomously muttered, making the attendant gulp nervously.

"I assure you, Ms. Nikos, it will not happen again." The attendant assured.

"We shall see." Pyrrha neutrally responded.

The attendant gulped again, feeling the pressure of Pyrrha's new imposing presence.

"So, W-what can I help you with?" She asked, trying to gather her courage.

"Clothes. For me and my...companions." Pyrrha answered, gesturing towards us.

"Yes! Of course, I can see why you came, your school uniform looks absolutely dreadful." The attendant perked up, glad to be in familiar territory as she looked us all over critically.

"Especially that ratty hat of yours. Why, it looks like it would better suit a common street urchin." She added as she locked onto my hat.

Then, before I could even react, and with the speed of a coiled viper, she snatched the hat right off my head.

"I mean, look at all the tears and holes in. Where did you find this thing…." She trailed of as she looked up from the hat she had taken from my head and noted the two very noticeable black cat ears on my head.

"Young...lady?" She paused, freezing like a deer in the headlights at them.

So did I. I knew what would happen next. She would freak out, call the cops and call me a white fang murderer or something. Probably the worst part was that she wasn't terribly off the mark either. Even if she didn't, this was the end of my little trip here. That much I knew.

Or so I thought

"Is there a problem?" Pyrrha challenged, looming over the woman with a stern and displeased frown.

"s-she's a….a….a" the attendant stuttered, still shaken by the revelation of my heritage. But it seemed the overwhelming pressure of impending doom that Pyrrha was excluding right now was overcoming that

"I said: _is. There. A problem?_ " Pyrrha asked dangerously, her frown morphing into a lethal glare promising pain.

"N-no. No problem mam." The attendant stuttered, giving into Pyrrha's terrifying will.

And with those words, Pyrrha leaned back, away from the woman.

"Good."

The woman breathed a sigh of relief as the pressure disappeared.

But only for a moment.

"I would have you keep something in mind, however." Pyrrha began again, giving the woman a sharp look from the corner of her eye.

And just like that, the pressure, the impending sense of pain, the incredible presence of her displeasure, it all returned.

"Where I come from, insolence such as that which I have been shown deserves...punishment _."_ She intoned as her aura flared darkly

With that, she pulled back the side of her dress coat, revealing the presence of a very large, bent, obsidian knife.

"Do you wish to be punished?" She glowered as she rested her left hand on the sheathed knife, her lips pulled back into a snarl, revealing her oh so sharp teeth to all, the threat left hanging in the air.

"N-no mam!" The woman all but cried.

Had she been thinking logically, hell, had we _all_ been thing logically, we probably would have realized that Pyrrha really wouldn't hurt the attendant.

Well, probably wouldn't.

First, it would be very illegal. Then there was all the witnesses. Plus, I wouldn't have let her do anything if I could help it.

But none of us were thinking logically. Pyrrha's presence of force pushed all sense from our minds beyond one thing.

Fear.

Pain wasn't just _implied_ , it was _assured_. There was no doubt here. If Pyrrha was displeased again by their sub-par performance, heads would roll.

Possibly even literally.

And then it was gone again. Just like that, the presence was gone. Pyrrha removed her hand from her blade, going back into a more relaxed stance. We all let out a breath we didn't know we had been holding. Despite that, the threat still hung in the air in the back of our minds as a reminder.

Then, she turned to me, locking her dark emerald eyes with my own, and nodded, silently gesturing for me to take charge.

 _She's insane_ I thought as I slowly turned back to the attendant.

"May I have my hat back?" I asked carefully, wary of how to respond to the woman who just reacted so negatively to my race.

"Uh, yes yes, here go. Sorry for the trouble." She said with wide, nervous, smile as she returned the hat to me.

After securing the hat on my head again, I glanced back at Pyrrha to see if she was really ok with me taking charge here. When she held her frown, I got the distinct impression she was annoyed at how things were turning out, and just wanted this to be over and done with.

A sentiment I could agree with.

"Well, I guess we could start with getting a new hat." I began.

The attendant's eyes flickered to Pyrrha, who gave her a look that told her all she needed to know.

"Of course, of course, follow me!" She said with that nervous cheer again, desperately trying to regain her composure after being shaken by Pyrrha.

As she turned around and began to lead us off, Jaune had something to say.

"Uh, Pyrrha, are you okay?" He asked, concern filling his eyes as the edges of his lips turned downwards ever so slightly.

Pyrrha's response was simply to raise a brow while looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Cause, I mean, you were a bit...intense...back there," Jaune explained, nervously twitching under her gaze.

Pyrrha remained silent for several moments, and soon I thought she was simply going to ignore him.

"...I suppose you could say...I was channeling my mother…" Pyrrha explained distantly.

"Your mother?" Jaune questioned, confused by the unexpected response. "I thought you didn't know who your mother was?"

"Her _adoptive_ mother, Jaune." Lilith pointed out.

"Oh."

"What is she like?" I inquired, trying to find out more about this strange girl while the door was open.

"She was strong, ruthless, hard, cold, unforgiving, ambitious, cunning, and doubt she truly cared about anyone beyond how they could affect her." She emotionlessly listed off.

"Wow, she sounds like a b-" Jaune began carelessly with a scowl.

"...I miss her." She added with the slightest hint of loss in her voice

"…Beautiful and wonderful woman." Jaune hastily corrected with a plastered on smile.

Pyrrha just looked at him quizzically with a raised brow again, which prompted a nervous laugh from the boy.

 _She's going to kill him one of these days._ I thought flatly.

But then, something Pyrrha said stuck out to me.

"You said you miss her...is she...dead?" I asked carefully, not wanting to step on any landmines.

"No, just….out of reach." She replied, her voice barely a whisper.

"Oh…" I said, not sure how to respond to that.

"Well, thank you for what you did for me." I graciously thanked her, trying to change the subject.

"Not many people would have helped...someone like me…" I said, explaining how much it meant to me, while being careful not to toss around the word "Faunus" in here.

Pyrrha simply nodded in way of acknowledgment, but strangely, that was enough for me.

While she did, I spotted something that caught my eye. Something...unusual.

"Why is that attendant carrying a whip?" I asked as I pointed to the attendant in question.

The attendant was walking up the stairs from the lower level carrying a bundle of assorted objects in his arms. Including a whip, what looked like several leather straps, and...

 _Is that a corset?_ I wondered, looking at it all.

"Oh, yes. Mr. Nelson is just coming up from the specialty section." She explained, gaining more confidence as she returned to familiar territory

"Specialty section?" I questioned.

"Indeed. As I said before, at Orgullo Del Murciélago, we cater to _all_ our customer's desires. Even the ones held behind locked doors." She replied, her grin containing an edge that wasn't there before

_Oh, god, Pyrrha where have you taken us_

* * *

**Later**

"So you're sure you don't want anything here?" I asked.

"I can't really think of anything I would want, I have all the clothes I really need," Lilith responded thoughtfully, looking up at me as we headed to the lounge area.

Jessica had explained how Murcielago's usually worked for most customers. Usually, they could take the measurements of the client, the client would give them an idea of what they wanted, then the client would wait in the lounge area for the attendant to return with options for them to sift through and try out in the changing rooms connected to the lounge.

This is how it worked for most customers, but it wasn't uncommon for the clients to actually do the shopping themselves while the attendant's waited on them.

This is what Pyrrha was doing.

Meanwhile, the rest of us decided to wait in the lounge.

And it was there, we got a surprise.

As I brushed past the dark satin cloth that hung behind the ebony double doors, I collided with something. There was a flash of white, a high pitched grunt of surprise, then…

"Blake?" A familiar voice asked, surprised.

I blinked, still getting my bearings from the collision, before looking to who I had accidentally crashed into.

"Weiss?" I questioned, surprised to see her here.

In hindsight, it made perfect sense that she would be here. The real surprise was that she would be here now of all times.

"How did you get in here?" She asked on reflex.

 _Wow_ I thought dryly

_Doesn't even know how right she is to question that._

Then she seemed to realize what she had just said.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean it like that!" She backpedaled, holding her hands up in apology.

"It's just…this is a very exclusive place, I didn't think you would be able to get in." She explained.

That made sense. Hell, I almost didn't

"Pyrrha got us in." I answered.

"She shops here?" Weiss inquired, surprised and interested.

"I guess." I shrugged. "She got us in here, and she seems to know her way around here pretty well."

"Wow." Weiss said, stars in her eyes.

"Weiss?" I asked, trying to snap her out of her weird daze.

"Oh, right, sorry, got distracted." She said as she shook her head.

"Uh…Blake?" Jaune began uncertainly, looking very uncomfortable. "Who is this?"

Oh. Right. I forgot to tell my team about Weiss and her offer. Well, maybe less "forgot" and more "Pointedly tried not to think about".

"Jaune, Lilith, this is Weiss Schnee, heiress to the SDC." I introduced. "Weiss, these are my teammates, Lilith Totenrot, and Jaune Arc."

"Lilith's gone." Jaune flatly pointed out.

"What!" I exclaimed as I spun around.

And so she was

 _How?_ I thought as my eye twitched.

I had literally been talking to her seconds ago, she had been standing right next to me, and now she was gone.

 _That semblance of hers is getting really annoying_ I thought.

I didn't _actually_ know what her semblance was, but me and Jaune agreed that it was probably what allowed her to "teleport" as it were. She had done it several times after initiation, disappearing and reappearing in an instant. Normally my instincts and Faunus sense would be able to give me some advanced warning, but apparently not in Lilith's case

I sighed, gathering myself up again before turning back to a confused Weiss.

"Lilith was with you?" She asked.

"Literally seconds ago. I was just talking with her." I replied as a pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Does she do this often?"

"Yes"

"I see…"

"I don't think you do."

"Oh no, I have a teammate just like that," She commiserated.

"You have a creepy little girl that is about as emotional as a rock that randomly disappears at will?" I dryly responded.

"No, I have a hyperactive spontaneous girl with a sugar addiction and inhuman strength who randomly disappears at will." She shot back just as dryly

"Oh" I said simply, stunned by her quick response.

"Anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you Jaune." Weiss greeted, extending a hand to him.

"Uh...thanks?" He responded nervously, a blush forming on his face as he slowly took the hand.

"Why don't you sit with us?" Weiss invited.

"Are you sure?" I questioned, mostly because I myself wasn't sure I wanted to do this.

"Of course." Weiss dismissed with a wave of her hand.

And with that she made her way over to a booth in the lounge, beckoning us to follow. I glanced at Jaune, who shrugged, before following.

The lounge honestly looked like it would be more at home in some fancy 5 star restaurant. The lights were dimmed and everything was either made of a dark wood, or covered in dark red leather. There were 6 "booths". Each booth was isolated by a privacy curtain. In the middle of the room, however, were several tables and chairs for others to sit in a less private setting. There was a full wine bar to the side of the room, as well a several people eating at the tables. The scent of perfectly prepared and seasoned meat mixed with that of smoke and perfume, making both my mouth water and my nose burn.

"I thought this was a clothing store," I commented.

"Murcielago's is actually less of a store and more of a...club, I suppose you could say." Weiss began to explain as we headed to the booth.

"Clothing is simply what it is best known for. In fact, it's more of a luxury club for the rich and famous. You still have to pay to buy most things, but some simply come as perks of being a client."

"And how do you join this club?" I asked curiously

"By being sponsored by someone else in the club." She explained before turning to me.

"Congratulations, Blake, you're now a valued customer of Murcielago's." she added with a smirk

_What_

Well...I knew I was turning my back on the White Fang. I didn't expect that it would end up with me sitting with the Schnee heiress while sitting in an extremely discriminatory club for the rich and famous.

Or that I would become part of said club.

If Adam found out, he would _kill me_.

Or he'd turn into a demented and homicidal Stalker yandere and try to kill all my friends as punishment for abandoning his love.

…

 _Like that would ever happen_ I scoffed internally

I was shaken from my thoughts when Weiss got my attention again.

"Are you hungry by any chance?" She asked, genuinely interested and concerned.

"Uh…" I was about to say no, when the scent of Bluefin tuna wafted to my nose.

My brain shut down, and instinct took over as my eyes locked onto the source. A plate of Bluefin tuna sushi being carried by a female attendant to another booth.

"Blake." A voice said as they snapped their fingers in front of my face.

"Hm?" I responded, turning around dumbly

"I'll take that as a yes." Weiss laughed with a smirk.

"I, um...yes." I answered helplessly, embarrassed by what I had done.

Weiss turned around and entered the booth, grin still present on her face. I turned to Jaune to seem him giving me a knowing grin of his own.

And I knew exactly why.

"Shut up" I pouted, still embarrassed by my actions.

Without another word, I entered the booth to see Weiss and another boy in green with long black hair and a pink highlight sitting on one side of the table. Across from us was another privacy curtain, one that separated us from the booth's changing room. Weiss appeared to have some sort of large scroll in her hands that was connected to the table, an interactive menu if I had to guess.

I sat down opposite of them, with Jaune joining me shortly thereafter.

"Where's the rest of your team?" I asked, curious.

The boy in green glanced at Weiss, before answering for her. "Yang decided to browse through the clothes personally, while Nora...disappeared."

I blinked, before frowning, muttering, "Gee, doesn't that sound familiar."

Sighing, I looked back to him and said, "Blake Belladonna"

"Lie Ren, though you can call me Ren." He introduced.

"Uh, Jaune Arc." Jaune said, a bit unsure.

As I looked at the four of us, I resisted the urge to snort at the ironic parallels between us.

"So Blake…" Weiss began, putting the scroll down.

"What _is_ Pyrrha like? I mean, for such a famous star, not much about her is actually known." She explained.

"I don't know if I'm really qualified to say." I said cautiously.

"Nonsense. You've lived with her for over 2 weeks, that's far more than anyone else can say." Weiss counter

I sighed, deciding to relent.

"She's…" I began, looking for the words.

"Kind? Strong? Beautiful? Arrogant?" Weiss supplied

I gave her a flat look to tell her how much I appreciated it.

"Sorry." She apologized sheepishly, "continue"

"She's...weird." I finally said

"Weird?" Weiss questioned

"Yeah. She's nice at times, just like you said, but other times she can be cold, sadistic…" I listed off.

"...intimidating" I shivered

"Intimidating because she's so high profile?" Weiss suggested

"Oh no." I shook my head "intimidating in the sense she's about five seconds from tearing someone's throat out."

Weiss and Ren looked at me skeptically, not believing or not understanding what I was saying.

"Ok, here's what I mean. When Pyrrha took us here, there were several...complications...because the attendants didn't like the way we looked." I began

"I think one of them even said we looked like delinquents," I added, something that caused Weiss to recoil and grimace in disgust.

"Pyrrha...didn't take that we'll. After multiple delays, as well as having the attendants question her multiple times, she threatened one."

"She said, "Where I come from, insolence such as that which I have been shown deserves...punishment _._ Do you wish to be punished?'" I quoted in my best impression of Pyrrha's voice at the time.

"And while she did it, she was fingering this giant kukri knife she had on her," I added.

Ren was looking at email wide-eyed and surprised. Weiss was looking at, or rather, past me with a wide-eyed glassy stare.

"Weiss-" I was about to say, trying to pull the girl from whatever she was thinking of, when there was an interruption.

The crimson privacy curtain was pulled away from the entrance of the booth, and the intruder stepped inside without another. But this wasn't just any intruder, this was someone very familiar.

Pyrrha.

And it seemed she had picked her change of clothes.

She stood there, at the entrance of the booth, like a statue, dressed in the finest threads of the store. Instead, something relatively casual like I expected, or even a dress at the extreme, she had gone for something much different. She wore an exquisite deep ebony and ivory three-piece suit with golden cufflinks, matching pants, and Oxfords.

I looked at her with wide eyes as my mouth suddenly felt dry. Despite how…unexpected…it was, it…looked good on her. It was a surprisingly apt fit for her, or, at least, how she was now. Perhaps, for the first time, we were seeing the real Pyrrha? The one not hidden behind a fake smile for the cameras and fans. Then, I noticed something else about the suit. Something…odd.

It was glowing.

Sort of, at least. There was an ethereal and somewhat grainy glow over the ebony jacket, trousers, vest, and shoes of the suit, while the ivory shirt underneath seemed to gleam more brightly in contrast.

_Is that supposed to happen?_

I turned to see if Weiss had any insight into that, and instead found her giving Pyrrha thousand yard glossed over stare. Her jaw had dropped open, and I swear there was the tiniest trickle of drool falling from her mouth. Then there was the…scent…I got from her.

"…you can punish me, mistress…" She muttered under breath in a voice so quiet, so faintly, that I couldn't be sure that she had even said anything at all, even with my Faunus hearing.

I blinked.

_Nope_

_Nope nope nope_

_Not thinking about it, she didn't say that, I didn't hear that, it didn't happen. Nope._ I denied firmly, doing my best to clamp down on that line of thought before it even began.

It didn't work.

That, combined with all I had seen and heard today, was more than enough food for my subconscious imagination to run wild.

 _Traitor_ I thought as unsolicited images formed in my mind.

Shaking my head, trying to push the thoughts from my mind, I turned back to Weiss.

"Weiss. Weiss. WEISS!" I yelled, trying to snap her out of it.

"Hmm? What?" She said, dazed and confused.

"You ok?" I asked, trying, and failing, to fight the smirk coming on from the role reversal from a few minutes ago.

"I, uh…" She stammered, looking around as a blush grew on her face.

When she turned to Pyrrha, who was just looking at her with a curiously raised brow, her face erupted in a scarlet red that almost put Pyrrha's hair to shame as she ducked her head down and hid her face.

"I'm fine." She murmured.

"Sure…" I smirked.

I turned to Jaune, who seemed to practically have stars in his eyes as he had a trip of his own to match Weiss. Ren seemed to be the only one who retained his sanity with me, as he just looked at her in surprised approval.

"So then," I began, turning back to Pyrrha, "Why's it glowing?"

"Oh! You got it?" Weiss chirped up

Pyrrha simple turned back to her and nodded stoically.

"Got what?" I asked, getting annoyed that people were dancing around the question.

"Dragon Weave," Weiss explained.

"Dragon Weave?" I questioned dubiously.

"Yes."

"Which is…?"

"Well…" She began. "It's both an old and new design."

I raised a brow, curious of what she meant.

"Its predecessor was known as Soul Weave, and it was an old hunter technique for making clothes. It involved making clothes from an aura conductive material. The material was rare and hard to get, and making the clothes was even more time consuming, but the benefits outweighed the risks." Weiss explained.

"Because it was made from an aura conductive material, it made using aura much easier, and allowed people to do more things with it. It also made their clothes stronger as they themselves eventually stored an aural charged of their own."

"But that was just the old Soul Weave, Dragon Weave takes it a step farther using some of the latest technologies and techniques." She elaborated, fulling immersing herself in lecture mode.

"Dragon Weave not only conducts Aura, but it can store it as well, far more than Soul Weave ever could. Not only that, but it is made from an extremely strong carbon-based polymer that makes it extremely resistant to cuts or tears."

"The end result is that your clothes can act as a secondary source of aura, like a battery. Like a battery, however, you have to charge them first. All you really have to do to that, though, is wear it and let your passive aura fill it. Or, you could do what Pyrrha's doing, and actively radiate your aura and push it into the clothing to make it go faster."

"So, what, it double how much aura you have?" I asked

"Well, it can, but it isn't really based on how much aura you have, but instead how much cloth is available to store the aura," Weiss answered.

"So someone like Pyrrha…" I trailed off

"…Would get a fairly large boost, yes." She finished with a nod.

"And someone like Lilith…"

"…Would get relatively little."

I nodded, getting my head around this whole "Dragon Weave" thing.

"Sounds useful," I commented

"Oh, you don't even know the half of it, that's not even including the effects in can have on your semblance, or how dust can be used with it." Weiss said with a smug grin.

"It's actually the reason I came here, so my whole team could get fitted for their own set." She added. "They should be done by the time for the camping trip to Mountain Glen."

"Wait, what do you mean?" I asked, now confused, "Done in time?"

"Well of course," Weiss said, taken aback

"Bespoke clothes such as these take time to make. They're custom made for each person. Being both specially attuned to their aura, and perfectly fitted." She explained/

"Wait, then how do you have one, Pyrrha?" I asked, now very confused.

"Sample." She answered.

"Sample?" I repeated.

"It's probably just a kind of test version for display purposes," Weiss explained.

"Actually, come to think of it, how _did_ you get that?" Weiss wondered, tapping her chin quizzically.

"Compensation," Pyrrha answered.

"For the complications?" Weiss guessed.

Pyrrha just nodded.

"Makes sense." Weiss acquiesced

"So then that's just a stand-in until they finish your order?" I guessed.

She nodded again.

At that, I saw Weiss look almost disappointed from the corner of my eye.

"So maybe we should all get them too…" I mused out loud ass the gears in my mind turned.

_This dragon weave sounds like it could be a serious tactical advantage. Plus, I do need some new clothes._

Then something else crossed my mind.

"Wait, Pyrrha, did you see Lilith by any chance?" I asked, desperately hoping at least _someone_ knew where she was.

And to my surprise, she nodded.

"You do?" I questioned.

"She's the one who lead me to you." She answered.

"Do you know where she is right now?" I asked frantically, desperately wanting to know where she was.

_Ms. Goodwitch would_ _**kill** _ _me if she knew I lost her niece in the city._

"Right here."

" **AH!"** We all shouted in surprise at hearing Lilith's voice in our ears.

Well, everyone save Pyrrha and Ren.

I spun around to the source, and saw Lilith standing there at the doorway to the changing room connected to the booth.

_How did she get there?_

"Lilith! Where were you?!" I shouted

"I was getting fitted for my own set of Dragon Weave clothes." She intoned plainly.

"How did you get past Pyrrha?" Jaune asked

"Oh, there's a route from downstairs to upstairs through the changing rooms too." She explained flippantly.

Weiss blinked, "Yes…there is. But it's electronically locked so people can't just walk into any changing room they want to peep on the clients. Only the people who've signed into a booth are given the passcard to get in."

"How did you get in?" She asked with a perplexed and slightly concerned look.

"I have my ways," Lilith said cryptically.

I resisted the urge to groan and bury my face in a hand at her classic evasive explanation.

_I still don't know what any of these "ways" are._

Pyrrha left before the food arrived, saying she still had business downstairs, she simply wanted to give me an update. Lilith, however, stayed for the food. It didn't take long for it to arrive, and it was quite the pleasant surprise when it did. Weiss had ordered a massive party sized pallet of seafood, including lobster, crab, and best of all, Bluefin tuna sushi.

Not only was the food good, but so was the company, surprisingly enough. I was actually able to get along with Weiss surprisingly well. Something that was probably helped by the fact that we could commiserate together over having two excessively strange teammates. In fact, there were as many similarities as there were differences. We were both female leaders, we both took Beacon seriously, and we both felt like we were the only sane ones on the team. Save, of course, for the surprisingly sane male on the team.

At one point, however, I remembered that Lilith was sitting next to us, and so I was worried I had offended her. Her pleased and condescending smirk dissuaded me of those notions.

So all in all, it was good food, good company, and a good time. It was nice.

And of course, it didn't last.

"I think I'm going to head back down and finish what I was doing," Lilith said, getting up from the table.

"You weren't done?" Jaune questioned.

"Nope."

"Then why did you come up here?"

"Because I was hungry."

"How did you know we were getting something to eat?"

"I-" She began

"You have your ways." I sighed.

Instead of looking annoyed, or even sheepish, she grinned, as if she was pleased that we were catching on.

Then, the curtains to the changing room were thrust apart as someone stood in the doorway

"Sur _prise_ ~" Sung the orange headed girl

I looked at her with wide-eyed surprise, _This must be one of Weiss's other teammates._

Jaune was similarly surprised, while Weiss, for her part, looked like she just wanted to bury her face in her hands again. Ren, on the other hand, looked like he wasn't surprised in the slightest. Lilith, though, looked more perplexed than anything.

"It's Nora~!" She continued, looking over the room.

And that's when her eyes locked onto Lilith's small form.

"Oh, you are so _cute!_ " She squealed.

Then, before any of us could so much as blink, she had snatched Lilith up and held her in her hands like a small child.

And Lilith…Lilith froze. She didn't kick and scream, she didn't struggle, and she didn't so much as whimper. She locked up, wide-eyed and petrified.

 _Oh, this is bad_ I thought, having a very bad feeling about this.

"Nora, put her down!" Weiss yelled, looking horrified by what Nora was doing to Lilith.

"But she's adorable! Look at her." Nora continued. Swinging Lilith around like a doll.

"And her titty boppers are so tiny!"

_Oh no_

"Honk honk." She said as she squeezed Lilith's practically non-existent breasts

I'm not really sure what it was about it that caused it. Lilith wasn't really one to be too vain about her body. She never really seemed to care that me and Pyrrha looked more mature and had more…prominent assets. At the same time, though, it wasn't really something we ever brought up. We also didn't really didn't see Lilith that much, so it's possible she raged about it all the time to her aunt.

Either way, one thing is for sure. Nora groping her seemed to be the last straw.

Her face began to contort into a rictus of rage as her eyes blinked, and were replaced by twin silver orbs. She opened her mouth and let out a shriek. Then… _something_ …happened, and Nora was sent flying back away from her, while she fell to the ground.

"Nora!"

"Lilith!" We all cried.

Jaune and I ran to Lilith while Weiss and Ren ran to the changing room Nora had been flung into.

"Lilith! Are you okay?" Jaune cried, getting to her first.

She lay crouched down on the ground, her body swathed in her crimson cloak, shaking fiercely.

"She touched me." She trembled.

"What?" Jaune wondered out loud.

I crouched down to get a better look at her face, to see if she was ok.

"She _touched_ me." She said again.

I had never seen Lilith like this, so…emotional. Before, she was always about as emotional as a rock. Sure, there were highs and lows, but usually, that was just a wry grin or frown. But this…

She was scared. Of what, I didn't know, but there was real fear in her wide silver eyes. Her face was filled with shock, horror, and fear. So much fear.

Then, that look twisted into something else. Something in those silver eyes grew from the darkness, and took hold inside her.

"She touched _me!_ " She sneered.

"Lilith?" I said, worried about her.

She spun around, looking back toward where she had sent Nora flying. The curtain was pulled back, revealing Nora backed up against a wall, her own face filled with terror.

" **Don't Touch Me!** " She growled in an inhuman voice.

Nora shivered fiercely under Lilith's terrible gaze, whimper as tears streaked down her face. Her body sporadically twitching and spasming, as if it wasn't entirely under her control anymore. All the while whimpering "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" over and over again.

Ren stood over her, trying to talk to her, to comfort her, but she seemed completely unresponsive to him. Weiss was looking between Lilith and Nora, horrified and concerned.

"Lilith, what did you do?" I asked in a stern voice, trying to be the leader in was supposed to be.

"Less than she deserves." She sneered

"Lilith!" I raised my voice at her, disgusted and angry by what she was saying.

Too late, I realized my mistake.

"No! Stay away!" She yelled as my hand brushed against her, recoiling in fear and anger.

Then...she was gone.

Not even a poof, just gone without a trace.

I curled my hand in the space she had previously occupied.

"Shit." I cursed at this cluster fuck of a situation.

_Note to self, personal space is_ _ **very** _ _important to Lilith._

* * *

**Later**

The next several minutes were spent clearing things up with Weiss. As much as she was angry at Lilith for doing whatever she did to Nora, she was even angrier for molesting and thus instigating Lilith into doing it. Since Nora didn't seem to actually be physically hurt, Weiss was willing to at least see if Lilith was ok. She didn't blame me, thankfully, because, as she put it, this whole mess was more her fault for being unable to properly control her team.

So it turned out that I didn't make another Schnee my enemy.

Small victories.

 _Still...I'm worried about Lilith_ I thought

Once I had calmed down a bit, and saw more to the situation than Lilith using excessive force against Nora, I actually realized how much I had probably fucked up. I already knew the signs, my time on the streets and with the white fang saw to that, so it's inexcusable that I would miss them. Reclusive, emotionally stunted, violently reacting to violations of her personal space, they were all pretty good signs of a few things. I couldn't really be too sure without learning more, but of all the potential why's, the what pointed heavily to PTSD of some sort.

 _And, of course, shouting at her and trying to touch when she's had an attack like that was quite possibly the dumbest thing I could have done._ I thought

 _I'm such a fucking idiot_ I sighed.

So here I was, wondering the shop, looking for her.

 _I don't even know for sure she's even still in her_ I considered. _She could have gone back to her aunt at Beacon_

Then I smelled it. It was a salty scent with hints of ozone, roses, blood, and something I can't really even begin to truly describe beyond calling it wrongness.

 _There she is_. I thought with relief

It was Lilith. I had figured out a while ago that the blood, roses, and ozone I always smelled on her mainly came from her cloak in particular, but the wrongness...that seemed intrinsic to the girl herself. But the salt...well, it wasn't hard to guess where that was coming from.

After only few moments, I was able to finally track down the source of the scent.

Up against the well, hidden behind several racks of clothes some people would kill for, she sat there, curled up with her chin resting on her knees.

"Lilith?" I said carefully in a whisper, trying not to upset her again.

"Go away." She spoke through her knees.

"Lilith, it's me, I'm just trying to help you." I continued, moving closer.

At that, Lilith looked up from her knees, showing me her face. Tears streaked down her pale face, and her cheeks were wet and puffy, but most notable of all were her eyes.

They were still solid silver.

"You're not Lucifer." She said with a quizzical tilt of her head

I blinked

_Lucifer?_

"Are you….Sascha?" She guessed.

"Sascha?" I repeated, thrown off by the guess.

"No, it's me, Blake." I said, looking at her with greater concern.

 _Could she have had some sort of.. relapse?_ I considered

"Right, catwoman," She said, understanding dawning on her.

I twitched in irritation at her impromptu nickname for me.

"Yeah, that's me." I said with a tense smile.

"Are you alright?" I asked, drawing closer.

"No." She said, directing her gaze toward the floor again.

"You know, Nora's not feeling so great either…" I began, hoping I would find some form of sympathy or regret.

"She deserves worse." She growled lowly.

"I think that might be an overstatement-" I tried to argue

"She _**violated me**_!" She snarled again. "She's lucky I left her sane."

Sensing where this was headed, I decided to back off.

"Ok, ok, Nora won't come near you again." I said, trying to calm her down.

"Good." She sniffled.

As I looked at her like this, I can see she was really and truly shaken deeply by what Nora did. This was not the emotionless rock of a girl I had known, this was someone who acted more in line with their appearance, which is to say, a little girl. One who had just been taken to a very dark place.

"Are you going to be ok?" I asked.

"Eventually" She sniffled again.

"Can…can you tell me why you called me Sacha?" I asked, trying to get answers while dancing some very thin ice.

Lilith didn't respond for minute, before finally opening her mouth.

"You know how I mentioned my memory?" She asked.

"Yes?" I said, puzzled

_Where is she going with this?_

Lilith had mentioned before that she had perfect memory, and that could remember everything with perfect retention. A neat skill, but I'm not really sure why it would matter here.

"Well…it's not as great as it sounds. It's not as simple as remembering everything clearly, it's more like nothing deteriorates. It doesn't matter how long ago or how recently it happened, everything feels the same." She explained.

I frowned in thought, _Wait…does that mean?_

"Sometimes, it can get hard to tell the difference between what happened five seconds ago, and five years ago." She mumbled.

"So…you're saying that while you can remember _what_ happened perfectly, it's hard to get a proper timeline for _when_ it happened," I suggested, trying to wrap my head around the concept.

"I guess." She agreed with a soft voice.

"That sounds…really confusing." I said, not really able to think of anything else _to_ say.

"It is. Usually I kind of…organize my memories around so it makes sense. Internally filling them away and storing them so I have a better grasp on when everything's happening. Sometimes I actually have to kind of seal some memories away, lest they interfere with my present self." She explained.

"What do you mean?" I asked with a frown.

"Well, your memories make you who you are. Depending on which ones I remember, and in what order, or how recently I feel some happened, my personality can change." She explained.

"Like…multiple personality disorder?" I suggested.

She shook her head, "No, that would involve a complete dichotomy between different personalities. A complete mental split that differentiated me and a hypothetical her. This…is more like different states of me." She attempted to explain.

I slowly nodded my head, not sure I understood all of that, but getting the general idea.

"When Nora… _violated me_ ," She shivered, "she kind of forcibly made me remember something very…intimately. The memory ended up of sort of bulldozing its way through my mind, tearing all the order apart, and leaving my memories scrambled."

"So…are you ok?" I asked again, still fuzzy on all of it.

"I will be, eventually, right now though I'm still trying to get over what happened and re-organizing my mind." She answered, looking up at me.

"Something a little hard to do when I keep remembering one of the most traumatic events of my life." She said sadly, looking down again.

"Is…there anything I can do to help?" I asked hesitantly

"Well, there is one thing…" She began, looking to the side suspiciously.

"…What?" I asked, not sure I wanted to hear the answer, but committed to getting involved now.

"Can we go to a weapon store?" She asked, suddenly spinning around with wide hope-filled silver eyes and her lip jutted out just so.

She was giving me a puppy dog look.

And it was working.

And I _hate_ dogs.

Unable to resist how ungodly adorable and pathetic she looked, even when I turned my head from her, I sighed.

"Fine."

"Really?" She asked, not quite able to believe it.

"Yes, really." I sighed again, relenting to this girl's demands.

"Yea." She cheered quietly, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

 _This is…unreal_ I thought as I stared at the once emotionless creepy girl, turned adorable, cute, scared, little girl.

"What's wrong?" She asked, staring up at me again with those solid silver eyes again.

"Just…you're a lot different from the creepy emotionless rock you were an hour ago." I said honestly.

Then I realized what I said.

"Er, um, what I meant to say was…" I stammered, trying to recover.

"No need, I know what you meant." She said with a giggle.

"And I'll remember you said that." She added with a smirk that could only be described as sinister.

 _What have I done_ I thought with wide eyes.

Pushing those thoughts form my head, I gave Lilith a hand up so we could get out of here. Just before we were about to leave this little enclosure here, I decided to ask her one last question.

"So Lilith, why do your eyes turn solid silver when you use your powers?" I asked, looking down at her.

She looked up with a tilted head, and asked a question that threw my perception of her upside down once more.

"What do you mean?" She began innocently.

"My eyes are always like this."

* * *

**Kokkinos pov**

We had finally left Orgullo Del Murciélago after Mistress Blake found Ms. Totenrot, though upon her return, Mistress Blake seemed...shaken. After learning of what transpired between Ms. Totenrot and Ms. Valkyrie, I wondered if they were now considered out enemies, and if I could offer my services.

Mistress Blake was not amused by my suggestion to break Ms. Valkyrie's back.

She also didn't seem to want to be at odds with team WYVR and actually talked with Ms. Schnee, working things out with her. As confused as I was, it wasn't my place to judge my Mistress's will, even if she is low on the chain of authority. This thought brought me to the moment when I questioned my better's will and demanded to go to Murcielago's.

 _These rebellious thoughts are getting worse_ I thought with a frown as we walked to our next destination.

 _I feel...punishment is in order._ I decided.

 _Self-flagellation?_ I considered.

 _No,_ I shook my head, _too loud._

Pausing to think some more, I finally decided on fasting.

 _Two days without food seems sufficient._ I thought with a nod.

Still, it was fortunate that Mistress Blake agreed with my demand, Murcielago had everything I wanted, even if there were...delays. I managed to order some Dragon Weave armor to replace the armor that was lost in the storm, as well as several clothes for more...casual...situations. As much as I might wish it otherwise, armor wasn't seen as acceptable attire everywhere.

Fortunately, they saw fit to give me the trial three-piece suit of dragon weave as compensation. While it wasn't an absolutely perfect fit, seeing as it was made for a male frame, making it rather tight in the chest and hips, it fit well enough for my needs. Plus, I found that I liked the way it looked on me, surprisingly enough considering I never really was a vain person. I got a few other clothes in the store as well, enough to have a selection instead of just one set I wore all the time. But, right as I was about to say I was done, a thought occurred to me.

I'm not the only one in this body.

While I doubt that she would find any of the clothes I got her truly uncomfortable, I felt I knew her well enough to know she wouldn't like her options either. So in deference to the I hoped would wake once more, I got her a couple dresses. Hopefully they'd please her.

"Here we are" Mistress Blake said, standing in front of the store.

"Dr. Hazard's House of Harm" Mr. Arc read.

"Blake, I'm not going to lie, this place sounds sketchy as hell," Mr. Arc said with a flat stare directed at her.

"Its actually not that bad." Blake defended.

"Not that bad?" Mr. Arc questioned

"I'm actually with Jacque here, I wanted to find quality weapons and parts, not rusty scrap," Ms. Totenrot commented.

"Its _Jaune_ " He whined

Ms. Totenrot simply gave him a dismissive wave.

I had to confess, I agreed with them. At first glance, this place did not look it would be able to supply our needs

"Well first off, we're not going anywhere racist again." She began, giving me a pointed, unamused look.

One I returned with a shrug.

"Second, I actually trust this place. Unlike some of the higher price stores that cater to people that want to show off, this place actually has quality weapons and parts made to work under pressure. This is actually the store I use myself" She explained

I raised a brow questioningly on silence

"What?" Mistress Blake sighed, noticing the action

"I have had different experiences in this matter," I said simply

"Ok, maybe I just wanted to go someplace I felt comfortable, instead of awkward, out of place, and unwanted like in Murcielago's," Mistress Blake admitted with another tired sigh.

"Yeah, but-" Mr. Arcbegan to argue

"No buts!" Mistress Blake exclaimed

"We're going here, and that's final." She ordered.

I nodded in acquiescence.

And without another word of protest, we entered the store.

It was pleasant enough I suppose. A simple grey rug on the floor, dark grey walls, and a network of pipes and wires on the ceiling. The sound of industrial level machinery hard out work sounded in the background while the scent of oil and iron wafted into my nose.

"Alright, I'm going to go talk to a guy I know here. You guys browse around, see what you might want, while I do, got it?" She instructed.

 _Yes mistress_ I thought as I bowed my head

"You got it, Blake!" Mr. Arc said with a cheery smile

Ms. Totenrot, on the other hand, just gave her a flippant noncommittal wave.

"Alright, keep your scrolls on you, Ill contact you when I need you." She said before walking off.

Mr. Arc and Ms. Totenrotleft together, heading in the direction of the gun section. Likely to see about purchasing Mr. Arc a much needed ranged option.

I, instead, turned my head to the repair section.

_Let's see if I can fix this_

* * *

"Sorry, lass, but I can't do it."

" _What?_ " I growled

The man at the station flinched back, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Look, you basically did the worst possible thing you could do to this thing. I don't know how you did it, but you managed to crush and twist it while it was in its most compact form. That's the problem with hunter weapons, all sorts of tiny moving parts. You managed to completely destroy or mangle almost all of them" He explained in his strange accent.

 _God dammit_ I sighed.

"Honestly, it would be easier to just make it from scratch." He added

"How long would that take?" I inquired

"Two months." He answered.

My eyes went wide.

"At least." He added.

"That is unacceptable," I answered, narrowing my eyes in restrained annoyance.

"Look, I'm an engineer, not a miracle worker. You have a triple changer weapon, do you have any idea how complicated that is?" He asked

I slowly shook my head.

"It's absurd. Especially considering how high quality it is. Getting the materials to make all this, not to mention putting it together, is going to take a lot of time and resources. Then, of course, there's the fact you aren't the only person on my list. I have a lot of orders. This is going to take some time, lass, there's no getting around that." He said.

 _This...this is a problem._ I thought, my jaw tensing tightly

"Frankly, if I were you, I would get another weapon. Maybe one less complicated. It'd be a bit more practical if this is going to happen a lot." He added.

He was right. I knew that much. Shape-shifting weapons such as these, while offering more options and being "cool" were, in a way, worse. It's like they say, jack of all trades, master of none. In order to accommodate multiple weapon configurations, normally such weapons have to make compromises. Usually, this is mitigated by using the highest quality parts, making them actually perform better than one made of standard materials.

But there were still problems.

As seen here, if you bent a hunter weapon that shapeshifted, you couldn't just bend it back into place and expect it to work the same. Any damage was usually critical damage that would force it into one mode and keep it there. Not to mention the exhaustive maintenance on the weapon from having so many moving parts.

So on the whole, a weapon made from the same quality of materials as a hunter weapon that had only one form would usually perform better at that one task than the shape-shifting weapon. But it would also give you less options.

 _Which is something I'm fine with_ I thought

_Still...I doubt she or master Sahib would appreciate it._

Finally, I made my decision.

"Fine," I said, giving Milo to him.

"Alright Lass, I'll just need to scan it all, then you can have it back. We'll let you know when the rebuild is ready." He said with a pleased smile.

"In the meantime, why don't you go shopping for some kind of stand in weapon?" He suggested.

 _Oh, I plan to do more than that_ I thought as I turned around.

* * *

I browsed through the weapon racks, trying to find the right weapon for me. The problem was...there weretoo many options.

I had been trained in and had experience with basically every type of weapon here. Glaive, halberd, claymore, war hammer, mace, shotgun, SMG, rifle, hell, even a chair leg.

Sword and shield was just one version of the basics I liked, but it was by no means my favorite. If I had to guess, Sahib chose akouo and milo for her because he thought they looked "heroic" or some such shit. And she probably went with it because she liked the idea of being a hero.

I had no such delusions. I knew what I was, what my purpose in life was.

So I wanted the best thing for me. But at the same time, I didn't know what that was now. I was bigger, stronger, my whole balance, leverage, and reach had changed. I could probably use bigger weapons more skillfully now, but I still had more experience with smaller ones.

 _Choices choices_ I thought, perusing through them all.

The other thing was, I wasn't sure of the performance of all of them. I don't think any of them were made of hunter grade materials, which would make them relatively fragile. Frankly, I could probably break every single one of them with master Sahib's knife.

 _Well, I suppose I should prioritize on what I need_ I thought

And I needed a side arm.

As much as I might wantfull-scaleale primary weapon, I would be fine if I just used Sahib's knife and a reliable sidearm for the time being.

So with that, I walked over to the smaller arms portion of this section, where Lilith and Jaune had been heading.

Then I heard a muffled _Bang!_ , followed by more muffled voices

"ублюдка!" I heard a familiar female voice scream

"Oh my god I'm so sorry!" a boy exclaimed.

"Бог сука Чертов сука Жон!" The girl shouted in a foreign language.

Curious, I decided to make my way to the door the sounds were coming from.

When I opened it, I was blasted by the sound of a foreign tongue being violently directed towards an incompetent buffoon.

"I said I'm sorry!" Mr. Arc pleaded, "Now just hold still so I can get a look at your hand."

Before me stood Ms. Totenrot and Mr. Arc. Ms. Totenrot was cradling her right hand with her left, blood dripping from the injured appendage. Mr. Arc was hovering over her, concern and regret filling his face. A discarded pistol lay on the ground next to them, and the smell of gun smoke filled the room.

She shouted something else as he got closer, before violently kicking him in the shin.

"Owe!" Mr. Arc cried, stumbling from the force of the kick

"How do you kick so hard?" He whined, cradling the leg as he hopped on the other.

I simply looked at all of this with a raised brow, before turning toward Ms. Totenrot.

"Explain." I requested flatly.

"He shot me!" She yelled, pointing at him aggressively with her whole hand.

Now that her right hand was uncovered, I could see that there was a bloody hole blasted in her hand. Seeing there was an entrance and exit wound, it seemed that the bullet had made it's way all the way through.

"It was an accident!" Mr. Arc said in his own defense.

"You still shot me сука!" She yelled again

"I said I'm sorry!"

"TВы сука!" She screamed again.

I tuned out the rest of their...conversation...as I looked around the room they were in. It was an indoor firing range, complete with five lanes, multiple different types of targets, and all the little pieces of equipment need for it. Considering how muffled the sounds I heard coming from here were, I'd say it was also filled with sound dampening equipment.

 _This...this is perfect_ I thought

I looked down to the gun Jaune had left on the ground. Continuing to block them out, I picked the weapon up, walked up to a lane, and got myself situated.

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_ The gun reported as I fired a short burst.

 _Hmm_ I thought, looking the weapon over.

I ejected the magazine to see more clearly what I was dealing with.

 _Well, it's not all bad_ I thought.

It had nice and controllable recoil, which was good. A simple sturdy design, which I approved of. Fairly accurate if the small 5 inch grouping was anythign to go by. But it also fired 9mm rounds. They weren't terrible against people, the rounds still having enough kinetic energy to drain aura a significant amount. Past that, it didn't matter too much usually. Plus, it had a 16 round clip, which was pretty nice.

But...9mm was still lacking power. I would be fighting Grimm now, which meant I needed more stopping power. Plus, if I fought someone with armor then I doubted this would be able to put them down.

All in all, I considered the 9mm round best for soft targets and saturation fire. Something this gun wouldn't do too well at serving me.

So I placed the gun on the counter, finding it wanting, and left it in search of a new tool.

"Uh, Pyrrha, what are you doing?" Mr. Arc asked hesitantly, no longer cradling his leg.

"Testing." I said simply and dismissively, directing my attention to the weapon rack on the back wall.

My hands roamed over all the guns over the rack, my fingers tracing the frames as I inspected each and everyone one of them. Many, I was familiar with, many I was not, but I still knew the basics when I saw them. If I had wanted to, I could have settled. I could make do with probably any of them if I had to. But I didn't want to settle, I wanted it _right_.

Then I stopped

I had found it.

 _A Mustang .45_ I thought, looking at the gun in question as old feelings welled up inside me

 _My first gun_ I thought fondly, the corners of my lips pulling up ever so slightly.

I traced my hand over the cold hard metal case, my fingers dancing on the rougher polymer grip. My mind went back to all the fond memories I had of it. From my first kill, to my last.

 _Time to make some new memories_ I thought, picking it up, gripping the gun loosely. Without a word, I made my way to the firing range, and fired shot after shot, emptying it's 8 round magazine in 4 seconds.

"Just like how I remember it." I whispered as I lowered the gun.

"Pyrrha?" Mr. Arc asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

I turned silently, awaiting his inquiry

"You okay?" He asked, looking concerned and out of place

I nodded silently, returning my attention to the gun in my hand.

"Just reliving some old memories." I murmured carelessly

"So are you getting that?" Mr. Arc asked

 _What do you think?_ I thought as I frowned at him.

"Er, uh, nevermind." He nervously replied under my gaze.

"Is that all you're getting?" Ms. Totenrot asked this time, looking at the gun curiously.

I was about to answer, when I stopped.

_Is this all I'm getting?_

I had my sidearm. As I said before, with a sidearm and knife, I didn't really _need_ anything else for the short term. I could make do with this.

But did I have to?

 _I was thinking about doing some tests, trying out some of these weapons_ I thought looking over the guns behind Mr. Arc.

 _And...it's not like I can't afford it_ I considered, feeling the wallet in my pocket.

_Though, I suppose it's more like he can afford it._

And it wasn't like this was some sort of twisted and convoluted way for me to get back at my master for making me go through this living hell by technically following his orders.

No.

Certainly not.

I was a good slave, after all.

"Perhaps not." I murmured, my mind already spinning through all the weapons I had seen that I had an interest in.

"Perhaps not."

* * *

**Blake pov**

"Wait, what?" I asked, giving a blank stare to Lilith, Jaune, and Pyrrha.

We had met again outside the store. I actually had to wait quite a while for them to show up, and now I was finding out why.

"They bought, like, half the store!" Jaune exclaimed.

"That's something of an exaggeration." Lilith countered, giving him a questioning raised brow.

"It was only a 10th of the store, at most." She muttered

"Am I missing something? Because I just see two bags of stuff." I asked, very confused. They weren't even big bags either.

"They got so much-" Jaune began, trying to get across just how much stuff they got, when Lilith interrupted him

"We're having the rest delivered." She explained.

"What all did you get?" I asked, raising a skeptical brow.

"Pyrrha got two semi-automatic pistols, two submachine guns, two pdws, two shotguns, two assault rifles, two sniper rifles, 24 grenades, all accompanying ammunition and various ammunition types, seven knives, a glaive, a battle axe, a halberd, a partisan, a mace, two war axes, four swords, and a total of two pounds of elemental dust." Lilith listed off

"I got about four bags worth of parts and six pounds of elemental dust." She added.

 _...what_ I thought, unable to really process what I heard.

"I told you!" Jaune exclaimed, pointing at me, "They bought half the damn store!"

"Why?" I said, exasperated

"Practice." Pyrrha said in that stony monotone that she had started using recently.

Still hadn't gotten used to it.

"Practice?" I repeated dumbly.

She nodded once.

"You bought an armory...for practice." I asked again, unable to wrap my mind around it.

She nodded again.

"I...I don't...how?" I finally asked, trying to come to terms with it all.

"Pyrrha's rich." Jaune answered

"There's rich, and then there's buying an armory for practice!" I exclaimed, finding myself in a world beyond reason.

"Actually, it was less than the purchasing all of you Dragon Weave." Pyrrha explained.

I paused in my rant

" _What?_ " I squeaked out.

"Purchasing Dragon weave for all of you was less expensive than purchase I just made." She reiterated.

By this point, my rant had lost all its steam. I froze for several moments, just trying to process the obscene amount of money that had been spent today, and the fact that Pyrrha seemed totally unbothered by it

"So….is that it?" I finally sighed, wondering if there was anything else we had to shop for.

Pyrrha had her...interesting choice of clothes, I had my hat and a new bow, we all had dragon weave on order, they apparently got everything they needed. Then I noticed something.

"Wait, Jaune, weren't you supposed to get a gun?" I asked

"He's (I'm) not allowed to get a gun anymore." Jaune and Lilith both said.

I blinked again "Why not?"

"Because he(I) shot me(her on accident)" They both said again, though Lilith didn't refer to it as an accident, and was in fact glaring at Jaune right now while he ducked his head down in shame.

"...Okay" I said slowly, not sure how to feel about this.

So instead, I decided to move on.

"So did you guys get everything you were looking for?" I asked.

"Uh…" Jaune trailed off, looking toward Lilith and Pyrrha for guidance.

When Pyrrha shrugged and Lilith nodded, Jaune turned back to me and said, "I guess so."

"Well then, in that case we can go back to Beacon." I said before pausing to give it some thought, "...Unless you all want to do something else?" '

Pyrrha gave another apathetic shrug, Lilith gave me a blank look that seemed to say, _"Why would i want to stay here?"_ , and Jaune appeared to want to say something, but was hesitant in saying it.

"Yes Jaune?" I asked, trying to get him to say it.

"We can go…" he began slowly, "It's just…." He trailed off again.

Then with a shake of his head, he said, "It's nothing."

I wasn't entirely convinced, but it seemed to be a personal problem, meaning I had no business intruding on it.

"Hey, someone stop that Faunus!" A voice shouted from behind me,

I froze, my instincts kicking into overdrive at those five familiar words. It took all I had in me not to react violently, or more likely, bolt and run. Taking a breath to center myself, I turned to look at what was going on behind me.

Two people, both vale city detectives if the badges on them were any indication, were running after a Faunus boy with short blond hair, an unbuttoned white shirt, and a monkey tail. The boy was crouching on a light pole on the side of the walkway to the port holding a large ship, and was casually eating a banana with the aid of his prehensile tail.

"Get over here you no-good stowaway!" one of the officers ordered the boy.

"Hey, I'm a great stowaway." the boy quipped with a smug grin. And with those words, he threw the leftovers of the banana peel at one of the officer's faces. After he saw it hit it's mark, and the obvious anger coming from the two officers, he turned and was about to make his getaway.

Then, suddenly, something attached to a thin cord came flying out from behind me, and hit the boy in the leg, grabbing onto it. Before he could even react, the cord retracted violently, pulling him of the lamp and sending him flying forwards, screaming all the way.

I turned my head to see him fly through the air, too stunned to do anything more than watch as the cord pulled him into the waiting clutches of the person on the other capturer met the boy with a knee to the gut. The boy seemed to crumple around their knee, before collapsing to the ground in a broken and groaning mess.

Once he hit the ground, and time seemed to speed back up to normal, I could take in the person's details more clearly. It was a woman, probably in her late 20's, maybe early 30's, She had reddish brown hair with streaks of blond, like a sunset or a fire, and it was tied up in a low pony tail. She had sapphire blue eyes, and lightly tanned skin. She was wearing a pair of black pants, a white button-up shirt and a brown vest overtop it. In her right hand was the object she used to grab the boy, a white pointed rod made of what looked like many long skeletal fingers, with a black hilt.

As she stood over him, she began to pull something out of her back pocket.

"You are under arrest for stowing away, and resisting arrest.." She began, opening the larger-than-normal handcuffs, ones I recognized as being specially designed for those with aura.

It was here that I noticed the large golden detective badge hanging from a chain around her neck.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.." She continued, turning him over, pulling his arms behind his back, and cuffing them.

"You have the right to an attorney...you're not listening to me, are you.?" She asked, pausing in her reading of his Marica Rights.

In response, the dazed boy merely groaned.

Sighing, she got up, hoisting the boy up with her. Turning to the two detectives who were running up from the pier, she said, "I think I have something that belongs to you?"

""Thanks Aveline." One of them said as he reached her.

"No problem." She said as she handed the boy over to him.

Through the entire scene, I stood there, frozen. If...if this had been back when I was in the White Fang, I probably wouldn't have hesitated. I would have stopped them and freed the boy. He was a Faunus, like me, and these people, the police, they were arresting him, hurting him, they were the enemy. But now…

Now I had to come to terms with the fact that, technically, the police _were_ in the right if he was in fact a stowaway. Even if they were being brutal about it. Then there's the fact that I was trying to turn over a new leaf. Fighting the police would just be me falling back to my old ways.

So, instead, I watched helplessly, an internal struggle going on inside me as a I considered all the ways this tested my values.

Then I was shaken from my thoughts by Jaune's voice.

"A-Aveline?" He said, he voice shaky and unsure. "Aveline!" He repeated, calling out to her.

The woman in question stopped and turned around to look at us with a puzzled face. Then her eyes seemed to lock onto Jaune as they narrowed in focus, before opening wide.

"Jaune?!" She exclaimed, walking up to him, bewildered by his presence.

"Aveline? Is that really you? What are you doing here?" He questioned as she approached him.

Then, she frowned, before slamming a chop right on his head.

"est-ce une façon de parler à votre sœur?" She questioned, frowning at him, eyes filled with disapproval.

"Oh yeah, that's definitely you." He muttered, clutching his head

"Euh ... Désolé, Aveline." He responded sheepishly, looking back up at her.

"Bien. Maintenant, qu'est-ce que tu fais ici, Jaune? Si vous n'êtes pas à l'école? Ou, plus important, à la maison avec la mère et le père?" She asked

"Vous voulez dire qu'ils ne vous ont pas dit?" He responded.

They continued conversing like this, and all the while I had no idea what they were saying. It was clear they were talking in a different language, and while parts of it sounded somewhat familiar, I didn't actually know what they were saying, or what the language itself was. What was obvious to me, was that these two were very familiar with each other.

There were the soft looks of recognition they gave each other, the looks of concern, annoyance. The entire drama of what looked like a long-awaited reunion was taking place before me, and I couldn't understand any of it.

I glanced at Pyrrha and Lilith to see how they were reacting to this. Pyrrha was looking at them with a brow raised in mild confusion, while Lilith looked at them with mild surprise.

Turning back to them, I saw Aveline gesture toward us with her head, matched by what I can only assume was a question, judging by the tone of it. Jaune then looked to us and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Right...okay." He began.

"Aveline, this is my team. That's Blake, Pyrrha, and Lilith." He said, introducing us to the woman.

"Guys...this is Aveline. My-."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That cliffhanger of sorts may or may not be a test.
> 
> Also, Sun getting a knee to the gut wasn't because I dislike him or anything, he was just more or less doing the wrong thing in the right place at the right time.
> 
> Oh, and that french might be shit. I used google translate for it, so, yeah...
> 
> Milo is just going to be a Xiphos for a while. That...kind of just happened. I planned on making Pyrrha/Kokkinos use things other than the trust Akuou and Milo combo for a while now, but idea for the why of it is a bit more recent.
> 
> We had clothing store stories with Blake, which went on far longer than I originally thought it would. The whole Murcielago's lore and shit sort of just...happened.
> 
> And included Wiess and co
> 
> and Nora molesting Ruby
> 
> and Ruby having a PTSD trigger and fucking Nora up
> 
> I've been considering whether or not to do that for a while now, and how. Then inspiration sort of just struck me and I did it now.
> 
> I'm also curious to see if this chapter has done anything for your ideas about pairings
> 
> has it?


	28. Scene 28: And I'm Feeling Good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I listened to a buttload of shit writing this. Not entirely sure which specific ones to recommend, but Imma try.
> 
> Iron by Woodkid is pretty good, as is the BF4 and the Hardline soundtrack. So's the song from the BF1 reveal trailer, the Glitch Mob remix of Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes. There's also Protectors of Earth by Two Steps From Hell, which is pretty legit. Hell, most of the music from Two Steps From Hell is pretty legit.
> 
> Also, shoutout ot Red for her help, and Nik, as always, with his Russian.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the chap.

**Blake pov**

"This…is Aveline. My eldest sister." Jaune introduced.

 _What_ I thought, looking at them blankly.

I wasn't stunned because it didn't make sense. Now that he had said it and they were standing next to each other, the resemblance was easy. They had the same sapphire eyes, the same nose and similar jaw lines. Even the streaks of golden blond in her hair were the same. I also already knew he had seven sisters, so finding one wasn't too surprising.

No, what was so shocking was the fact that Jaune's eldest sister was a detective of the VCPD.

* * *

_I am so done with today_ I thought, sitting at a table with Aveline and my team with my head in my hands.

_I'm friends with a Schnee, I'm in the most high profile and discriminatory club in the kingdoms, Pyrrha is a world famous champion with an S &M fetish, Lilith is a little girl with PTSD, and Jaune, who is my best friend by default, has an older sister who is a VCPD detective._

_Everything is wrong_ I thought, sinking further into despair with each thought.

And this was all before the first _month!_ Imagine what'll happen by the first _year!_

 _Maybe I'll befriend a serial killer, meet a demon, see a ghost, and find an unholy abomination of science._ I internally remarked

Then I froze

 _I just jinxed myself didn't I?_ Looking up at the sky for answers

No reply came.

 _I am so done with today_.

"Hey Blake, you okay?" Jaune asked, touching my shoulder gently with his face contorted in a concerned frown.

"Yeah!" I perked up far too fast,

"Fine! Fine! Just a headache, didn't get enough sleep, you know?" I added, losing mental sanity fast.

"… _ok_ " Jaune replied slowly, skeptical of what I was saying.

"So Jaune…" Aveline began, sitting across from me nursing her drink, "I'm surprised dad found the time to send you to combat school, let alone Beacon. You were 12 last I saw you, after all."

"Oh….uh…yeah. He sure found time alright, ha ha." Jaune lied while rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Aveline just looked at him with a flat, unamused, stare.

" _What_?" She finally said.

"What?" Jaune dumbly repeated, his eyes nervously flitting to the rest of us in a silent plea for help

 _Oh no, this is your grave_ I silently replied as I pointedly looked away

Aveline let out a loud tired sigh, "Jaune, you've always been a terrible liar."

"I can't believe you got into Beacon without going to combat school. You would have had to fake you transcripts." She said, exasperated,

"Which is a _crime_ , by the way," She said pointedly

"How did you even get them? You aren't exactly a social butterfly Jaune, I can't imagine you even knowing how to get them yourself." She mused out loud

"Er, well, I just kinda…found them." Jaune weakly explained.

"Found them?" She questioned skeptically.

"Yeah?" Jaune offered

Aveline looked down and sighed again, "I'm going to guess dad had a hand in this."

"What makes you think dad had anything to do with this?" Jaune asked

"Because dad sort of saw me as the prized heir to Arc line of proud hunters, and didn't take my final career choice too well. He probably saw you as his second chance. Asshole." She cursed under her breath

"How do you know?" Jaune questioned, looking unsettled by the accusations Aveline was laying against their father.

"Because this kind of thing is my job, Jaune." Aveline tiredly pointed out.

"But I don't blame you for doubting me, I can hardly believe it myself. I mean, dad sent you out here without even sending you to combat school. Did he even give you any training?" Aveline asked.

"er, well, I mean…"Jaune trailed off nervously.

"Well, at least he unlocked your aura." Aveline acquiesced, leaning back in her chair.

"Unlocked my aura?" Jaune questioned curiously.

"Yeah, I can sense it from here. It's pretty strong, even for an Arc, considering how young you are." She said blandly, reclining in the chair.

"What would unlocking my aura feel like?" Jaune asked

"Well, it'd probably feel like rush of power from within, filling and fueling every part of your body-" Aveline began

"My Dream!" Jaune exclaimed, interrupting her.

"uh…what?" She asked, confused and thrown off guard.

"Yeah! That's what happened during this dream I had during initiation, there was Grimm, and you were there." He said, pointing to Lilith, "And you almost died, and I felt this power surge and I glowed, and then it was all ok."

"Wait, you unlocked your aura…in a dream?" I asked, making sure that this was, in fact, the reality I lived in now.

"Er, well, I think so. I mean, after that I felt a lot better, stronger, faster, all that. I also survived things that should have probably killed me."

"Hmm…I've heard of people unlocking their aura by themselves, so it's not _impossible_ , just hard. But in a dream?" Aveline mused out loud, her hand on her chin as she thought on it.

Then, something occurred to her.

"Wait, that means dad sent you to Beacon without unlocking your aura!" She exclaimed, looking outraged.

"Uh…yeah?" Jaune said helplessly

"Do you know what that means?" She asked

He shook his head dumbly in response

"Jaune, that means he practically sent you to _die_." She scowled intensely

"What?" Jaune recoiled, taken aback

"Did he do anything to prepare you? Anything at all?" She asked

"Er, well, he gave me this armor, and Crocea Mors." Jaune explained, still reeling from Aveline's claims.

"That's it? Those relics?" She asked.

"Did he even teach about them at all? What you can do with them?"

"Um…"

"Did he tell you anything about what you could expect at Beacon?"

"Er…"

"Did he at least tell you about our semblance?"

"Uh, well…" Jaune trailed off again, having no answer.

Aveline huffed angrily, leaning back in her chair again, muttering obscenities toward her father.

"What did you mean by, 'Your semblance'?" Lilith asked curiously

"I've heard some stories and rumors about it, apparently the Arcs, like the Schnees, have some kind of hereditary semblance or technique passed down to each generation." I jumped in, curious about the subject myself.

"Well, honestly there's a big debate over whether it's a semblance or a highly advanced aural technique." Aveline explained somewhat distractedly, no doubt still thinking about her father's decision to send Jaune to school unprepared.

"How do you not know?" I asked for clarification.

"Well, you see, us Arcs have a bit different Aura then most people's. It's thicker and denser, which often makes it harder to get good control over it at first. But, once you get the hang of it, it lets you do incredible things." She explained.

"For example…" She began, holding out her hand above the table, palm up with her fingers curled slightly.

Soon, her hand began to glow ever so slightly. The glow grew and grew, turning into a thick bright white…mist…around her hand. The mist then began to move, to flow around her hand, and coalesced at her palm. It swirled around a central point, growing denser and denser, rising up from the center of the cloud of light, and turning into…

"Is…is that a chain?" I asked in wonder.

A bright white chain made of what looked like solid, metallic even, light was forming in her hand, link by link.

"Yup." She answered.

Then, as quickly as it appeared, it dissipated into a white motes of light that seemed to dissolve into the air.

"And I'm going to be teaching you how to do it too." She said, turning to Jaune

"What?" He recoiled, surprised

"Don't act so surprised Jaune. Since you're becoming a huntsmen, you need to learn this stuff." She countered

"Er, well…"Jaune began nervously.

"What?" Aveline asked with a confused look.

"It's just…Pyrrha was going to train me." He admitted sheepishly.

At his statement, Pyrrha turned to him to give him a look that somehow silently said "Bullshit" and "What the fuck did you say?"

Aveline recoiled in mock shock.

"Jaune, are you saying you don't want to you dearest big sister to teach you?" She said, looking as offended as possible.

"Er, well, no, but, uh, it's just-"Jaune sputtered, trying to crawl his way out of the hole he dug for himself.

"Too bad" She interrupted.

"This is family tradition. I mean, usually its parent to child, but seeing how father neglected to teach you, he's not even here, and I'm better than him anyway, the responsibility falls to me." She explained.

"Besides, I haven't seen you in years. We need to catch up. Have some good old brother sister bonding time. See a movie. Show you around the city. Protect you from shameless harlots that only want to steal your innocence." She explained sincerely

"Wait, what was that last part?" Jaune asked, very concerned about what she was saying

"What last part?" She said with a sinisterly sweet smile, her narrowed sapphire eyes momentarily meeting the rest of ours.

 _Ok, note, Aveline is a very protective older sister. And a cop. Do not provoke._ I gulped with wide eyes.

Pyrrha just gave her a silent raised brow in confusion, while Lilith gave a small giggle of amusement with a matching smirk. An action that cause me to give _her_ a wide eyed look because a giggling Lilith is like seeing Adam with a smile on his face.

It is both an incredibly rare and beautiful sight, and a sign that somehow, someway, and somewhere things have gone _very_ wrong.

"Are you ok?" Jaune asked, oblivious to the byplay going on between us.

"Fine, fine." Aveline assured him with a wave of her hand and a disarming smile.

"Though, I was serious about showing you around the city." She said, sobering up

"Tomorrow's Sunday, right?" She asked rhetorically "Are you free?"

"Yes?" Jaune asked slowly and cautiously

"Great. I can take you to the church I go to, get you all situated there, introduce you to som-" She began before abruptly stopping

"…What is it?" She asked guardedly, noticing Jaune's expression

"Oh, er, it's just…I kind of stopped going to church years ago." He explained nervously, a touch of shame entering his voice.

"What? How, why? Dad would never let that happen" She spoke, bewildered by the revelation

"Well…that's the thing. After you left, dad…just wasn't the same. Nobody was, really." He explained somberly with downcast eyes

"After I _left_?! I didn't just _leave_. He practically-" She stopped mid-rant, taking a breath and collecting herself. "Now's not the time for that."

"It doesn't matter if you haven't been to church for years. What kind of big sister would I be if I let my little brother go on without knowing the God-Creator's grace?" She said.

"Um, excuse me?" Lilith asked, raising her hand up questioningly, "The God-Creator?"

"Yes, God-Creator." Aveline began, turning to the small pale girl in question, "Most people just shorten it to God, finding God-Creator to be too long of a name."

"I didn't know that was his name." Lilith said with quiet surprise, a layer of intrigue flittering in her silver eyes.

"As tragic as it is, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. People have started using it so much they've forgotten the original meaning. It's also not really a name so much as it is a title." Aveline explained.

"Really?" Lilith asked, getting sucked into Aveline's explanation.

"Yeah, the true name of the God-Creator is sort of unknown. Depending on who you ask, that's because it's too holy to be known, let alone spoken, by mere mortals. Others would say that his name has been lost to the ages, the collapse, and the Grimm." She explained.

"Though, I'm curious why you're so interested in him?" She asked

"Lilith's from a village outside that was in the wilds, right?" Jaune asked, checking with Lilith to make sure he got it right.

Lilith nodded, "I've heard of people referring to "god" nearly all my life, but I don't actually really know anything about this religion."

"Makes sense" Aveline nodded,

"Do you think Lilith could come with us tomorrow?" Jaune asked bluntly

"Er, to learn more about Auroranism. That is, if she wants to." Jaune amended, looking back and forth between the two to see their reactions.

"...I suppose we could do that." Aveline said slowly with narrowed, thoughtful eyes.

 _Oh Jaune_ I thought, resisting the urge to shake my head at him.

Aveline had probably been hoping to have some personal family time with her brother, just the two of them, and Jaune was just too much of an oblivious and friendly person to notice. At the same time, Aveline was probably just too nice of a person to say no.

"…Maybe. I'd have to ask my Aunt first." Lilith said carefully, picking up on the cues that had been flying straight over Jaune's head.

"Well…in any case, why don't I take you guys to the station? My shifts about to be over, and I need to clock out, and I can give you a tiny little tour beforehand." Aveline suggested, steering the conversation away from the tense minefield it had found itself in.

"Your boss would let you?" I asked, the words just jumping out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"Yeah, he's a pretty cool guy. An ass to be sure, but a pretty cool guy over all. Sides, I'm on his good side. And afterward, I can give you guys a lift back to the school." She answered casually.

"You sure?" I questioned, mostly just for courtesy's sake

"It'll be fine." She assured with a smile.

* * *

**Goodwitch pov**

"You did _what?_ " I exclaimed in disbelief.

"I convinced Ozpin to get rid of the Honey Trip and replace it with a camping trip to Mountain Glen." Lt. Niflheim answered as he packed his bag.

"Though, I'm surprised that you are coming to me with this now. I announced this a week ago." He added in a confused tone.

"I was busy," I said, dismissing the question

He was right, of course. It had been a while ago, but I had been indisposed. First because all the time I had that wasn't spent towards my job was usually spent teaching Ruby how to use wind dust, so I hadn't even heard about it until Ruby brought it up one day.

After that, I went straight to Ozpin to give him a piece of my mind. He took said piece, and basically said "if I think it's so dangerous why don't I do something to make it safer?"

Which is what brings me here.

"But that's beside the point. The point is, is that you are endangering the lives of these children by taking them to a dangerous, remote, Grimm infested location." I fumed, bringing us back to the topic at hand.

"That _is_ the point of the exercise." He retorted dully, "Besides, it's not even that dangerous or remote. It's not the Barrens, the Lost Wilds, and certainly not the Dead Zone."

"Those are hardly fair comparisons." I frowned.

All those areas were tier 6 zones, which meant they were considered highly dangerous, even to veteran huntsmen. Places far from the safety of the kingdoms, and far beyond the light of man. Only the strongest or most prepared teams of huntsmen ever really have a chance of surviving there.

"But it is a comparison. Mountain Glen is only a tier 2 zone, nothing too bad." He pointed out.

"Besides…" He began, turning to glance at me with a smirk, "These children of yours are quite good at using their pointy sticks."

I huffed at him and his bullheadedness. Still, it was not unexpected.

"So is there no way to change your mind on this?" I asked rhetorically, already knowing his answer.

"No, there is not. These children simply know how to fight in an arena. Initiation was something of a trial for them, but it only taught them that they aren't as invincible as they thought they were. It taught them to _fear_." He began to explain

"But I want to teach them what it means to be a _warrior_ , a _hunter_. That it takes more than just being able to swing a pointy stick around in all the right ways. It is what I came here to do, and I will not be swayed from my path." He expounded passionately.

"I see…" I said slowly, adjusting my glasses. "In that case, you leave me no other choice…"

At my words, he stopped what he was doing, and turned to me with a curious expression.

"Lt. Nifelheim, I shall be accompanying you on your "camping trip,"" I announced to him, steeling myself for whatever retort or fury he had to give.

"You are, are you?" He inquired carefully, taking a step closer to me

"I am. Someone must be there to insure the safety of the students, someone who can keep you in line." I said with a hard look, looking up at him directly in the eye.

We stood there for a moment, both unshakable in our assertions. He may have towered over me, but I wouldn't let him use his intimidating physique to bully me into complying. Someone had to protect these students from the horrors of reality, to keep them safe in the dark, and until I saw otherwise, this man was not it.

But then he did the damndest thing.

He grinned.

"Very well, Ms. Goodwitch." He said with a smile, extending a gargantuan hand out to me.

"Welcome aboard."

* * *

**Aveline Pov**

"Here we are," I announced, getting out of my car.

"Whoa." I could hear Jaune whisper in awe

 _Oh Jaune, still so easily impressed_ I smirked.

Though, I suppose it's easy to see why.

The West Vale City Police Station is quite the sight, after all. It has the same architectural style as Beacon, which is to say, Neo-Gothic. It was five stories tall at its highest in the central hall area, which branched off into several other three story sections. It was covered in spires, flying buttresses, and reinforced fortifications.

It used to be an old fort for the city, back when it was closer to the border of the city. Since that time, it's been updated and modernized, but it still has that classic old world charm. It still has the feeling of centuries of being a shining light, holding back the darkness and keeping the city safe.

"Nice, huh?" I grinned at him, to which he immediately frowned.

 _Despite all he's changed, he's still the boy I knew_ I thought fondly.

He had changed so much over the years. I was still taller than him, but he would probably overtake me before too long. Which meant I had to abuse my position as much as I could before he did.

And, God-Creator, was it good to see him again. To see him smile again, to see that wonder on his face again. His voice had changed, unsurprising, but his mannerisms hadn't. He was still so unsure of himself.

But, for all he stayed the same, there was something different in his eyes. As much as I would love to say there was a confidence, a strength, a courage that was there, I knew I would just be lying to myself.

Something of that oh so innocent light in his eyes had died out.

If I hadn't spent years scrutinizing people to find all their tells, all their secrets, if I hadn't known Jaune since the day he was born, and if hadn't seen that same look myself, I wouldn't have even noticed it.

But I did, and I couldn't take it back.

Still, I wanted to cherish our little reunion. I wanted to wait to open these wounds until the right moment. Besides, this was a private matter, no need to involve his team in something they had no business in.

"What's that sound?" Jaune asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

Right on cue, a large heavy bullhead cleared the skyline of several buildings in the distance. One with a very noticeable, and in my opinion distasteful, shark mouth painted on the nose. It angled itself toward the station, shifting its gimbaling engines to allow it to gracefully hover in place over it. Soon, it began its descent, disappearing behind the main structure of the building.

"That would be the local Watchmen Squad's Bullhead. The station has its own airpad for more rapid deployments." I explained to him

I turned to him to see his jaw still dropped open in wonder.

"Jaune," I frowned, flicking him in the forehead to pull him from his thoughts.

Though, since I knew he had his aura activated, and how strong it was, I decided not pull my punch.

So as a result said forehead flick sent him flying off his feet and onto his back with a pained, _oof!_

I winced as I saw his skull collide against the pavement.

 _Ok, maybe should have pulled that punch. Also, I should probably teach him how to actually use his aura, instead of having it just remain passive all the time._ I decided.

"Ma faute" I apologized in the family tongue

"Owe" Jaune groaned on the ground.

"(Though honestly, with your aura, you should have been able to take that)" I said, slipping into it easily as I gave him a hand up.

"(Don't lie, you did that on purpose.)" He pouted.

"(Oh, are you accusing your big sister of being a sadist?)" I said, feigning offense.

"(Could you at least not make me look like an idiot in front of my friends?)" Jaune pleaded, gesturing to them, who were all looking at us like we were speaking another-

Oh

Right

"No such luck Jaune," I said with a smile as I ruffled his hair, seamlessly switching back to common.

" _Aveline_!" He whined.

 _Oh, the more things change, the more they stay the same_ I smiled.

Taking a moment, I looked over the girls in Jaune's team, and saw that Blake was desperately trying, and failing, at hiding her grin and stifling her giggles. Pyrrha…looked confused, honestly, what with her stoically quirked brow. Lilith, on the other hand, looked…

Frankly, she looked like she had been reminded of something very painful for her. Her head tilted down, he bangs shadowing her eyes as her fist clenched tightly by her sides. I could vaguely feel her aura contort in emotional pain, though for some reason her aura was much harder to get a read on than the others.

Deciding that, A, I had messed with Jaune enough for the moment, and B, that I didn't want to upset Lilith with whatever I was doing, I opted to move on.

"Alright, alright, lets head inside." I chuckled, leading the way in through the oak double doors.

We entered into lobby of the station, made of stone floors, oak counters, and fanciest in high end holographic screens and displays. It was relatively empty today, only 13 officers and 5 civilians in the room, not including us. In the back of the room, I saw detectives Johnson and Rodman taking the monkey Faunus boy from earlier to processing.

"And this is the entrance hall." I began, showing them around.

My tour was taken of the tracks when I heard the bell of the door ring again from behind me, and I felt a very familiar frosty aura slip in.

"Ymir." I said, spinning around great him

"Detective Arc." He greeted with a nod. He paused, however, when his eyes roamed over my brother and his team.

"Lt. Nifelheim?" Jaune questioned, surprised by Ymir's appearance.

"Student's?" Ymir said, equally caught off guard

 _Wait a minute._ I thought, picking up something in what Jaune said

"Jaune, how do you know Ymir?" I asked carefully

"Oh, he's our combat teacher." Jaune explained simply, as if there were no problems with that sentence at all.

"Ymir." I began as I turned to him very slowly.

"Would you mind telling me why you neglected to inform me that you were _teaching my little brother?_ " I inquired tensely.

"Oh." He said simply. "I forgot."

_I'm going to kill him_

"What do you mean you _forgot?!_ " I exclaimed, keeping my voice low, yet filled with fury.

"How do you forget to tell your best friend that you're teaching her younger brother that she hasn't seen in _five years_?"

"Same way I forgot to tell Rosientoter and Sherwood that stuff about Odessa." He calmly responded.

"You _still_ haven't told them about Mila?" I said, bewildered by his forgetfulness.

"Nope" He said simply "It always slips my mind by the time I see them."

"Of course it does." I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Wait, you know this guy Aveline?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah, he's one of the watchmen stationed here, and one of my closest friends," I answered absentmindedly.

"I'm flattered, Ymir spoke in monotone

"You should be," I said, giving him a halfhearted glare.

"Well, I would love to stay and chat, but…" He began

"Watchmen business?" I guessed.

"Correct." He affirmed.

"I saw the gunship fly in. Hard to miss that eyesore." I explained.

"Yeah, we're being deployed."

"Oh?"

"It's a code 2553." He said seriously

And with that, all semblance of humor left me.

 _2553_ I thought

_The code for the White Wolf_

* * *

**Jack pov**

"Alright, Sir, what's the situation," I said as I looked over Llofrudd Mawr and the rest of my equipment in the gunship.

The rumbling of the engines forced me to shout over them, the vibrations rattling my very teeth. It was hardly comfortable, but then, it wasn't unfamiliar either. Who knows how many drops I've had before this one. Not just as a Watchmen, but as one of the Vale Rangers, the kingdom's most elite Special Forces and reconnaissance unit.

"As I'm sure you heard, this is related to the White Wolf." He began, checking his precious Bloody Marian.

"There weren't many details beyond that, Captain," Ymir responded, looking over his Himlens-Dan.

"And for good reason, I can imagine," I added.

"It was." Robin began with a nod.

"…We found it." He said after a moment, "Or, well, I suppose you could say _I_ found it."

"You did? How? What is it doing?" I asked quickly, surprised that he would have found the thing itself after such a short time, considering how fast it was. I thought this mission was to go find some place it might be, or something that had intelligence about where it was.

"It's…well, it's worrying me, frankly. I can see why it spooked you." Robin admitted.

My stunned silence was all he need to continue.

"The White Wolf is hanging around another set of abandoned warehouses and factories on the outskirts of the city. The area isn't too highly populated, so we got the ok from command for tier three collateral." He began

Which meant that we could basically level a building if it was absolutely necessary.

"At first, I thought it was just being a predator of opportunity, waiting to strike any unsuspecting target. But, then I noticed something." He said, his voice filled with worry, "It was doing what I was doing."

"It was doing recon."

"Wait, are you saying it was scoping some place out?" I asked, getting his concern.

"That would imply an understanding of caution, intelligence, and tactics," Ymir stated.

"Yeah, it was eyeing the whole district, getting a feel for the terrain, doing everything I would be doing in its shoes if I knew there was a target of interest in the area." He explained.

"But what is its target?" Ymir asked.

Robin paused again

"…The White Fang."

"Wait, the White Fang?" I jumped in, alarmed that revelation.

"Yep. I noticed it the second day of recon, the unusual activity in the area. Not enough to put it on our radar normally, but it since I was looking for reasons why it might be here, I took note of it. On the third day, I realized that they were probably Faunus, considering most of them were wearing hats, heavy clothes, and other things to hide their race. Then, I finally caught a glimpse of irrefutable proof of their presence, a couple of their little foot soldiers trying to be sneaky." He elaborated.

"I took it to the command, and while they are uncomfortable with the fact that a Grimm found terrorists right under our nose before we did, they do see it as a nice way to kill two birds with one stone."

"You're talking about hitting a White Fang base with the White Wolf in the area," I said, not liking the sound of this.

"Correction, we're hitting the White Fang base _while_ the White Wolf does the same." He corrected.

"Based on everything I've seen it doing, it's probably done its recon. The only thing left to do is strike." He added.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"Because tonight is a new moon and white fang activity has only grown in the past couple days. I think there's something big going down with them tonight. If I were an intelligent super Grimm hungry for the flesh of humans and Faunus, I'd strike now." Robin explained.

"Did it notice you?" Ymir suddenly asked.

"I don't think so, it didn't run…why?" Robin asked, not sure where he was going with that question.

"Assuming it is as smart as you are, and it noticed you, what better time to strike, then when we've come in and softened us all up." He commented.

"…Shit." Robin and I said, realizing what he was saying.

"Do you think it's really that smart?" I asked, more for the sake of argument then doubt.

"It's smart enough." He answered for me.

"Well then, I suppose it's a good thing we brought Odessa with us, right?" Ymir commented.

"Still not sure I trust her." I muttered, looking over at the girl in question.

She just sat there on the other side of the bullhead, as far from the rest of us as possible, looking over this absolutely massive rifle. She was decked out in her own variation of the watchmen armor, which was similar to Robin's but lacked the cloak. In addition, hers was made of a pitch black material that absorbed more than a normal material would, making it so she would blend into the shadows perfectly. It also had a stronger optical and sensory suite than Robin's, something shown in the longer, vaguely wolf headed shape of the helmet.

"I can hear you, you know." She muttered from her little corner.

"Oh, I'm counting on it, girly!" I goaded, raising my voice mockingly

"Rosientoter, you _do_ realize she's supposed to be our overwatch, right?" Ymir commented.

"Bah, you just like her because she's another Atlesian" I dismissed with a wave of my hand.

Ymir starred at me with deadpan so hard I could _feel_ it through his helmet, before turning to Mila. Then he spoke something in that brutish harsh northern language of theirs, which prompted a chuckle out of her.

"Now that's just immature." I pouted, distinctly feeling like the butt of a joke I couldn't even understand.

"Well, Jack, it's your own damn fault." Robin chided with a smile in his voice.

"Pft." I dismissed in good cheer, "Yeah right, I'm the most mature person here. I _am_ a father after all."

"Give it a few months, then you can start calling yourself dad." Robin teased.

And so we continued toward the objective like this like this, light jokes traded between me and Robin, while Ymir and Mila spoke to each other in their booga booga language. All in all, it was seemed like a nice journey there. But underneath it was that dark tension that came with every mission. The fact that we were going into a dangerous place by ourselves. It was just us, the White Fang, and the White Wolf.

It was dangerous, it was dirty, and it wasn't going glorious. But we didn't do it for the glory, the money, or the fame. We did it because we were watchmen, and it was our duty to do the deeds in the dark so our fellow man could be spared.

And it's something we took pride in.

* * *

"So Robin, you sure this plan of yours is going to work?" I said over the secure coms, sneaking up to the door to the factory with Ymir.

The sound of the rain pounding against the dirt, pavement, and factory would help cover our entry, to a degree, but it also gave this whole operation a dreadful, somber, note.

"No, but that's why I put in the 'shit hits fan' emergency plan." He responded, making his way around to another side of the factory.

"Odessa, you got our back up there?" I asked

"…"

"…I'll take that as a yes." I said, disconcerted by her sudden silence. Still, her display in my HUD still said she was ok, so maybe I had just pissed her off or something.

"Quiet, we're here." Ymir said in a rumbling whisper.

Finally, we stacked up against the door, Ymir to open and me to enter. He held his hand up, and counted down, three

Two

One

Open.

I carefully, yet, quickly entered and scanned the room. I gave him the all clear sign and moved on, him giving me a pat on the shoulder to let me know he was right behind me.

We walked through corridor after corridor of eerily empty factory. To the untrained eye, it may have looked deserted, but I knew better. It was the little things, the way the most of the dirt, trash, and rubble had been moved to the sides of the hall, the lack of plant and animal life, things like that. People had been here very regularly for quite a while.

 _But doing what?_ I wondered.

Then I got a ping on my minimap. The entire floorplan for the factory had been uploaded to out suits so we could find our way around. The ping was in the main assembly room, with Robin's marker in a room above it.

"I got a large heat signature below me." Robin said over the com

"Got it, Rosientoter and I will investigate." Ymir answered.

And with that, we made our way there. The entire time, I couldn't shake the feeling we were being watched, but I couldn't see anything. It was like the eyes were in the very walls, stalking my every move.

I pushed the paranoia from my mind, focusing on the task at hand. Soon, we were at the door I question.

This time, I opened the door for Ymir. As dangerous as it was in there, Ymir could take a hit better than I could. I had seen him shake off an RPG before, I was confident he could take whatever they had to throw at him.

"Entering" He whispered over the com as he passed through the threshold. I followed soon after.

The room was pitch black, not a light in sight. Even with Night vision, I couldn't see anything beyond the factory machines that covered the floor. Also known as the perfect cover to hide in wait for us.

"I got a bad feeling about this." I said to Ymir

"Indeed." He agreed.

And no sooner had we said that, then did we get proven to be exactly right

The lights flashed on with a loud _Clack_ , revealing us to be in the center of the room. All around us, people wearing white Grimm masks popped out from cover, holding us at gun point. We were surrounded.

I heard a loud whirring coming from the front of the room, and turned to see a man standing on some kind of platform, wearing a somewhat different mask with more ornate red markings. In his hands was some kind of giant chainsaw sword.

 _Probably some kind of high ranking White Fang_ I thought.

"Welcome, huntsmen-" he began

"Hey! Watchmen, thank you very much." I interrupted.

"Watchmen? Even better!" He laughed.

"Asshole." I whispered to Ymir.

"Regardless, you came here seeking to snuff us out like were some kind of infestation, and yet here you are, caught like rats in a trap." He gloated.

Ymir sighed loudly, silently saying, _"Oh god, not one of these guys."_

"I feel ya buddy." I comforted him as I stared down my weapon at the man in front of me.

"Now we shall see how _you_ like being hunted down like animals, being oppressed and mistreated just for being born different." He continued as the massive shutters behind him opened up, revealing the bright lights of the city skyline in the distance through the massive window behind him

"No, not different, better! Faunus are better than humans in every way! It is our birthright to rule this world, and soon we take our rightful place. Then you shall see how you like being the little people! How you like being stepped on and abused!" He ranted.

"How about you surrender peacefully, and we promise you won't be harmed." I said, still aiming at his head with Mawr.

"Surrender?" He laughed. "Surely your primitive human mind must be dumber than I thought, seeing as I have you right where I want you."

"Neither I nor any one of the true brothers and sisters of the White Fang surrender to such weak and cowardly humans. You cannot hope to win! The White Fang will stand and rise, and we shall take everything we deserve!"

The White Fang in the room cheered, the room absolutely vibrating with fanatical energy. It felt more like I was in the middle of a cult than the once proud civil rights group.

"Now, strike these filthy humans down in the name of all Faunus kin-!'

Then his chest exploded.

_BANG!_

The glass window behind him shattered into a million pieces as the loud boom of a gunshot rung out through the night, cutting his speech short. A veritable flood of glass fell to the ground as he fell to his knees, desperately trying to hold his entrails in from the hole in his chest as he choked on his own blood, his chainsaw clattering to the ground beside him.

Silenced reigned for a second as every single member of the White Fang directed their attention toward their once mighty leader.

"Primary target down" Mila spoke over the comm emotionlessly, her cold voice sending a shiver down my spine,

"Am I cleared to take out secondary targets?"

I looked at the results of one of the scariest and deadliest weapons ever crafted by the hands of man, the Лэнс Зима (Lens Zima). A 50. Cal monster of a gun made to kill the monster of man, not the beasts of Grimm. What made it so terrible and deadly wasn't the size of the bullet, however, but the burst fire system it used to fire three bullets so fast you couldn't hear the individual shots, just one big boom. The first and second bullets were often more than enough to strip someone of their aura, leaving them wide open for the last one to tear a nice meaty hole in them.

"Team 4, you are cleared to engage." Robin declared firmly, his voice like steel

And with those words, we began our onslaught.

Ymir brought his gun to bear, unloading a torrent of icy rounds upon the crowd of stunned terrorists before us. It hit them like the blizzard it was so named for, freezing Faunus left and right with indiscriminate fury. At the same time, I fired controlled bursts of Mawr into the crowd while began to move into cover.

As Ymir began to make his way further into the shitstorm we had made, practically wading through the bullets, I switched to Sleas and Llosgi, moving into close range. While all the White Fang members were distracted by the oncoming terror of a massive man of steel unleashing a storm of freezing bullets upon them, I slipped around, downing enemy after enemy, prioritizing secondary targets.

Secondary targets were anybody was considered a threat to us, people with weapons capable of actually getting through our armor and doing some damage. My armor could shrug of 7.62 rounds easily enough, though it could get through the underweave, Robin's could really only take 5.56, while Ymir was practically a walking tank, require either anti-material rounds, or someone to get a shot through his underweave.

So, the plan, as usual, revolved around him being the tank. Soaking up damage and attention from everyone around him. While he got everyone's attention, the rest of us would clean up. In this case, that meant Mila taking out the primary target, and the two of us working together to cover Ymir until the White Wolf showed up. Or, in the event that it never did, simply mop them all up.

It was a simple plan, which is why Robin picked it. The more complicated it could have been, the more shit could have gone wrong. A bad idea, especially when we were dealing with so many unknowns. Plus, it gave us a chance to let Mila have some field work with us and see how we operate.

 _Besides, this way, when shit inevitably hits the fan, it doesn't go FUBAR_ I thought as I swept a man with a grenade launcher's feet out from under him. Right as he hit the ground, I swung Sleas down on him like a guillotine, the burning blade burying itself deep inside his chest. He barely had time to gasp in pain before the dust activated inside him, burning him from the inside out. The only outward sign of it a flash of light and a puff of smoke coming from the hole in his chest and the mask on his face.

 _It's fool proof!_ I thought with a smile, spinning to meet the woman who noticed me by shoving Llosgi in her face. With a double barreled, _Bang!_ At point blank range, the double incendiary blast shredded her aura and burned her face off, leaving nothing more than a blackened skull in its place.

I turned again, seeing a man with a monkey tail and a shotgun running toward me with a savage grin. Before I could even make a move against him, he was hit with a flurry of icy blue bullets. He was frozen solid near instantly, before the freezing fire turned to another victim. And just like that, all eyes were on the glacial giant unloading a torrent of frosted death upon their number.

Just like we had planned. I even wondered how shit could hit the fan. Everything was going flawlessly.

I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard a loud burst of static come over the com. I flinched violently form the unexpected sound, looking to the hud to see the source of it, and found that it was coming from Mila's radio.

"Odessa, something going on over there?" I asked, slipping into cover while I did.

"…"

"Robin?" I asked, wondering if he had any idea what was going on.

"Odessa, what's your status, over?" He said, all business.

"…"

"I-m going to go check it-" Robin began.

He was interrupted by the sound of what glass remained on the window shattering, as a dark body came flying through it, before slamming to the ground and rolling to a stop in the center of concrete floor, right by Ymir's feet.

It was Mila.

She was missing her Helmet and her rifle. There was some large scratches on her armor, and her brown hair hung around her face messily, her dog ears pressed against her head. She looked up toward the window she had been thrown from with a bloody lip, slowly trying to get to her feet as she held her scratched side.

The whole room stopped in a second stunned silence, her unexpected arrival a surprise to all involved.

A silence broken by the sounds of shattered glass being crushed underfoot.

Almost as one, everyone in the room turned toward the platform where the White fang soldier Mila shot earlier still lay. Standing there, hovering over his body, was the massive figure of the White Wolf, its silver white coat reflecting the lights of the city skyline behind it. Its black eyes matching the dark void of the moonless night sky surrounding it.

It hovered over the corpse of the terrorist, looking at him hungrily. Slowly, carefully, it bent down, reaching with its large scythe-like claws into his open chest. The sounds of it tearing it open wider could be heard in the dead silence of the room, the sound of it snapping bones, ripping muscle and sinew, the only soundtrack to its macabre task. Finally, it finished, pulling a small, fist sized, bloody object from his chest, and throwing it in the air before snapping it up in its jaws.

 _Did it just eat his heart?_ I wondered, disgust and fear building in me.

As much as I tried to prepare, nothing could truly prepare me for seeing the real thing up close and personal.

It looked back down at us, looking over the room and appraising us, judging us. Then, it grinned, before disappearing in a flash of blue light.

It reappeared right in front of Ymir, it's claw surging forward towards him like a silver bloodstained lance. Ymir managed to react fast enough to bring his gun up in an attempt to block, but it wasn't enough. The claw tore through the gun, leaving a massive scar through it, before slamming into the giant of a man. The blow threw the half ton giant off his feet, sending him flying backwards.

With that move, the room seemed to unfreeze. The White Fang Soldiers, leaderless and now facing a massive white Grimm, panicked. Some tried to run, others tried to shoot it. Just like the mobsters, however, their bullets did nothing to it, the rounds falling against its fur like rain against steel.

Ymir hit the ground on his feet, sliding back as he recovered from the savage blow, his massive armored boots tearing up the concrete as they dug into the hard floor from the weight and force of his landing. He dropped his scarred gun as he recovered, instead drawing his Slägga Av Berget with one hand. He dug the other hand into the ground, using it to help arrest his movement. And all in one seamless motion.

When he came to a stop, he looked up at the grinning White Wolf that had struck him. He rose to his feet, standing up strong as he held the hammer mid-way down its length. Then, he took a step forward, throwing his arms out, and giving out a thunderous roar to the beast, a challenge for all to hear. The sound of the roar was tinged with his aura, flavoring it with the force of his soul, and chilling the air around us. Frost and ice creeped over his armor, cracking into place all over him.

He had just fully activated his semblance.

As much as Ymir was a soldier, I knew, deep down, in his soul, he was a warrior who lived for battle. He breathed war, combat was his life, and he would gladly die fighting for what he believed in, something seen in his semblance.

He charged forward, Slägga held in both hands as he rushed the White Wolf. When Ymir reached the wolf, he swung his hammer up at it, a move it easily sidestepped. It tried to counter attack with a swipe of its claw, but this time he blocked with his hammer, and weathered the blow. They continued this little dance for a while, each trying to land a serious blow on the other. The wolf, too fast for Ymir, and Ymir too durable and experienced to be caught off guard again.

While they had their little duel, I ran through the chaos towards were Mila lay on the ground.

"Sir, the White Wolf just showed up and threw Mila through a window. No sign of her gun, but she's conscious, Right now Ymir it keeping it busy." I reported through the com as I ran to her.

"Shit, I was hoping it would go for Ymir first. I didn't think it would be able to find her, let alone realize her threat level." Robin cursed. "Hang in there, I'm going to wrap things up out here and take care of any stragglers."

"Ok Sir." I responded, turning the comm off.

Finally, I managed to reach her position, throwing myself over the silent machinery she had hidden behind.

I hit the ground in a crouch right next to where she was leaning against the machine, holding her side and peaking over the machine.

"Odessa, you good?" I asked, looking her over. She didn't look like she was bleeding from anywere besides her lip, but she could be facing broken bones and internal injuries.

"Yeah, it just caught me off guard. Tore my helmet off and threw my gun away before I could respond." She said coldly, still looking over at the battle.

"Can you still fight?" I asked

"Of course, sir." She said, pushing off from the machine to stand. "Just needed a little breather."

She drew two holstered sidearms from the sides of her chest, holding one in either hand, "Orders, sir?"

"Well, since I highly doubt those peashooters will do anything to the White Wolf, let's clean up the terrorist bastards while Ymir's keeping it busy, alright?"

"Yes sir." She replied crisply.

Something I found downright creepy from the normally quite kind, soft, and naïve young woman. It was almost as if she had drained herself of all emotion and feeling, leaving nothing in the way of her duty.

"…good to hear." I said, unnerved by her demeanor, especially in light of the fact she was killing fellow Faunus

I was only able to see her nod, before a massive grey blur flying past me stole my attention. I turned to see Ymir flying through one of the walls of factory, his massive form easily breaking through the brick wall with a loud crash, a cascade of debris and dust falling from the hole he left.

I looked back to see the White Wolf directing its attention to all the White Fang still in the area, all of them desperately trying to kill it. But in the end, it did them little good. The wolf ran tore through their ranks like a bolt of silver-blue lightning. Despite the fact that the white fang members had aura, as weak as it was, the wolf's claws tore them apart with each swing, leaving trails of blood and limbs flying through the air. On occasion it would stop to tear into someone it had struck, digging into their flesh messily, ignoring both their screams of pain and their comrade's attempts to save them like they were nothing more than a light breeze.

By now, of the 50 or so white fang that had been here, only 20 still remained. The floor was soaked deep crimson with their blood, butchered bodies and gore covering the ground. In only a handful of moments this once abandoned factory had turned into a mass grave, with no end in sight.

To be honest, on one level, I really wanted to help the white fang. Yeah, they were terrorist bastards, but they were still _people_. They had souls, wants, desires, hopes, dreams, all of that. The White Wolf, on the other hand, was just a soulless monster. Intelligent, maybe, but that didn't change the fact its sole mission seemed to be nothing short of killing and consuming as many of us as possible.

But then I thought of all the people I had lost to the White Fang, all the attacks they had committed in the name of "justice". Not to mention the fact that just minutes ago they had been all prepped and ready to kill us and bathe in our entrails.

…ok, maybe not that last part.

"This job just never get easier, does it?" I thought out loud with a sigh.

Besides, we still had an emergency "shit hits fan" backup plan in place. Couldn't let that go to shit to just because I was having a philosophical moment. It wasn't just about me, we were a team. They were counting on me to do my part and do everything I could.

_And I wouldn't give them anything less_

And with that thought, I gripped Sleas and Llosgi, and pushed away all thoughts of doubt from my mind. Just in time, too.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a terrorist fanatic running at me with sword, screaming, "die human scum!" at the top of his lungs.

He was running at me at full speed, filled with fanatic and berserk passion.

But to me he was just moving at a crawl.

I held back a sigh at the sight of another young man running to his pointless death, and readied myself to strike at the right moment. Once he entered into range, taking just one step too close to me, I struck.

I swung my axe forward, hooking the blade of the sword within the gap between the curved beard and the shaft of the axe, and pushing it out of the way. Then, in one seamless continuous motion, I brought up my shotgun right up to his chest, and fired. A booming blast of the shredding, burning, incendiary dragon rounds tore through his aura in a flash of light, before continuing to his flesh. The end result left charred and ground fleshy hole in his chest, right where his heart and lungs would be. He let out one last pained, wheezing, gasp, before collapsing to the ground in a dead heap.

But I was already on the move to another target.

I ran toward another man wielding a large axe as he ran toward the white wolf. Instead of letting the man simply feed the hungry Grimm, I opted to end his life a little earlier. Getting up behind him, I stopped, fired Llosgi at his right leg, the massive blast of shrapnel and fire destroying his aura and nearly tearing his leg off. As it was, all that remained at the knee was some burnt and shredded flesh and bone.

He collapsed to his knees, screaming in pain. Something that left him at perfect height for me to cut his head off with one clean swing from Sleas.

As his head flew through the air, a flash of movement from the corner of my eye betrayed a women wielding a shotgun coming for me, her mask torn off, leaving her white cat ears exposed in the air, and showing the murder and hate in her eyes.

"Die you bas-"

_Bang bang!_

Before I even had time to react and kill her myself, two shots rang out, and her eyes, once filled with such hate and ferocity, exploded into twin showers of blood. She fell to the ground screeching in pain, clutching her eyes as the blood flowed freely from them. I knew, while it wasn't an instant or clean kill, she would bleed out soon enough.

I turned to the source, only to see Mila with her twin pistols give a momentary nod to me, before turning back to the duty at hand. It was then that I noticed the unnerving number of terrorists that lay motionless on the ground, bloody holes where their eyes used to be.

"Well…that's brutally effective." I murmured to myself.

Despite the protective effect of aura, the eye was still so fragile and delicate that it almost didn't matter. Your aura would still, usually, keep something from passing through the skull and into the brain, but it would stretch enough to let something like a bullet blow your eyes out and bleed to death.

Something she seemed to be doing with machine gun efficiency.

I shook the thoughts from my head I got back to the matter at hand. Seeing no hostiles in my immediate area, I tried to find the White Wolf, an easy task, in the end.

It seemed that while I was distracted, Ymir had re-engaged the wolf. Ymir swung his hammer in an arc around him, but the wolf just seemed to twitch out of the way, it's every movement leaving a trail of ash falling in it's wake. It retaliated with a clawed thrust of its own, but Ymir blocked with the shaft of his hammer.

Taking one hand off the shaft of his hammer, he seized the moment to grab hold of the beast's arm while it was entangled with his hammer. Then, in a moment of Atlesian warrior fury, he did something equally bold and stupid.

He head-butted it.

He slammed his armored helm straight into the jaw of the beast, his grip to firm to allow it to move out of the way. The punishing blow sent it reeling back, yet even still Ymir didn't release his grip. Instead, he pulled the hand holding the hammer back, and swung it up in an almighty uppercut straight to the jaw.

Having finally released his grip, the White Wolf went sailing into the air, frost already creeping over it. By the time it hit the ground, its entire upper body was encased in ice.

"Nice job big guy. I think you did it." I congratulated him, walking up to him as he caught his breath. I looked around for any other white fang, only to find nothing but a sea of corpses.

"You good?' I asked, looking at him with concern. Sometimes he could get pretty…impassioned…about this stuff, when he let that good old Atlesian warrior blood run a little too hot. Not that he would be a danger to us, oh no. He was the picture of restraint and control. Still, it usually made him a bit more…frosty…than usual.

 _God, he would_ _kill_ _me if he knew I thought that_ I thought with a smile, _He_ _hates_ _puns._

"I'll be fine." He grumbled roughly with that winning charm.

 _See? Frosty_ I thought, proud of my own pun mastery.

"Odessa, you done over there?" I hollered over the mic

"Yes sir." She crisply responded.

"God, it's like I'm the only with a sense of humor around here." I grumbled to myself.

"Ymir, how's things on your end?" Robin asked over the com.

"The White Fang seem to be all taken care of, and the White Wolf incapacitated." He responded.

"Well don't fuck around, just kill it. That thing creeps me out." Robin ordered.

"Understood sir." Ymir answered firmly, a tinge of grim excitement in his voice.

He walked forward, re-positioning his hammer in his hands. He was about to deal a final deathblow to this creature, and rid this world of some evil.

_Crack_

"What was that?" I asked at the sound.

Then, with a cacophony of cracks, the ice around the wolf shattered. The explosion of ice sent us all reeling, covering our faces more on the instinct born from shards of icy death flying to you at over 100 mph than any real danger.

When we lowered our arms, we were met with an unsettling sight.

The White Wolf, standing tall. It grinned no longer, and instead had what could only be described as a quite annoyed look on its silver furred face.

"Well…shit." I cursed, not knowing what else to say.

That blow incapacitated a deathstalker, one of the physically stronger grimm out there. This thing was barely a third the size, and it broke out of it in less than ten seconds. Which meant this was probably going to be way harder than I thought it was.

"Uh, status update, sir, the White Wolf broke out of Ymir's ice. It does _not_ look happy." I reported over the com.

"Shit. Alright, in that case, we're going with plan shitstorm beta. Hold out until I get there to back you guys up." He replied, distaste clear in his tone.

"Understood sir." The three of us said in unison.

Before we even had a chance to make good on that promise, the Wolf gave a loud, piercing, and furious howl, before disappearing in another flash of light. My finely honed reactions and instincts gave let me see just where it looked like that flash of light was heading.

"Ymir look out-"Was all I could see before it was on him.

Or more precisely, behind him.

It reappeared crouched behind him, before pouncing on his back. It latched on, raking it's claws against his chest, it's massive jaw biting down on his head.

In a roar of defiance, Ymir grabbed onto the thing's head, and threw off him and onto the ground before him. The beast rolled with the blow onto all fours, giving Ymir an angry snarl, before flashing beside him with another trail of ash, and rushing him again. Unable to move fast enough, the wolf managed to successfully tackle him to the ground. Now perched over him, the Wolf was in the perfect position to maul him to death.

But I wouldn't let him.

I fired Llosgi at its back, drawing its attention. The cone of fire and shrapnel ended up doing little to its silver body, but it still drew its attention enough for it to turn its hungry black gaze to me and snarl.

"Sup." I said simply before blasting it in the face.

In hindsight, my plan, which was essentially just don't let it kill Ymir, was poorly thought out. I would realize while I went sailing through the air after it smacked with its massive clawed hand as it ignored the blast of fire in its face.

When I hit the ground, felt the massive drain in my aura, let alone the fact that I felt like I had just been hit by a goddamn freight train, I started reassessing my life choices. Something I had to put on hold when the White Wolf landed on me soon afterward, giving me no time to rest.

When it bitch smacked me like it was my pimp daddy, it also smacked Llosgi from my hand, removing my ability to shoot blasts of double barreled incendiary fury at it. Not that that seemed to be doing much good anyway.

Still, I had my good old axe, and a die-hard attitude that had seen me through some of the toughest shit known to man. I wasn't going to let one overgrown Grimm, and probably 5 broken ribs, put me down.

So, tapping into that barbarian fury people liked to say I had, I swung my axe at its face, hopping to do something.

"Get off me you fat ugly bastard!" I yelled at it.

I swung it again and again, but each time it just seemed to glance off its silver fur, not even setting alight despite the still very active fire dust in it. Each hit seemed to be little more than an annoying slap to the face to it, something it quickly grew tired of.

Roaring at me in fury, the sheer force of its cry stunning me, it grabbed my head in its massive claw, the force causing the helmet to groan under the strain. I began to panic inside, the fear of being crushed alive taking hold as I desperately batted my axe at its arm, desperately trying to get free. Instead, it slammed my head against the concrete again and again, pounding a crater into the stone with my skull.

Finally, it released me from its grip, looming over me hungrily. I was too dazed to really do anything, stars filling my vision. I could barely even think straight, and everything felt sort of distant, even the pain.

I let out a pained moan as it read a hand back, pulling its claws together as it prepared a spear like jab aimed straight at my heart.

Before it could act, however, Ymir, the beautiful giant he was, bowled into it, knocking it over. They wrestled with each other for a minute, captivating my dazed state.

"Sir?" A concerned voice said next to me

I looked up to see Mila standing over me, a concerned look over her bloodied face. I tried to respond, when I realized I had a big problem.

I couldn't breathe.

I tried to gasp in breath, but the ventilation systems in my helmet must been damaged, trapping me in an iron coffin. I scrambled my hands against it, desperately trying to rip it off, already feeling my lungs burning for breath.

Finally, with Mila's help, I was able to tear the thing off. I sucked in a breath of glorious, precious, real air.

"Thanks." I gasped, bending over in pain.

"You're…welcome sir." She replied somewhat nervously, like she wasn't entirely sure how to respond to my gratitude.

I turned around to see how Ymir was fairing against the beast. He had is hammer back in his hands, but otherwise seemed like it was going about as well as it was before.

But then, just as I began to think we didn't have a hope in hell of stopping that monster, a flash of light gave me reason to hope again.

A streak of blue lightning surged across the factory floor, and slammed into the back of the White Wolf. Electricity arced wildly across its silver white form as it spasmed in pain.

Taking the opportunity given to him, Ymir spun around, and slammed his hammer at full force into the chest of the Grimm. The two active dust forms exploded together, lighting blasting off its form as it flew back through the air. Ice covered its body even faster than before, completely encasing it in ice by the time it hit the ground.

Before it had a chance to get up again, Ymir ran up to its frozen body, and brought his Slägga down upon it like the frozen fist of god. Instantly, a column of ice erupted up from where the hammer struck the beast. The impact rocked the floor, the tremor shaking dust loose from all around the factory. When it ended, a small mountain of ice stood where the White Wolf once lay.

I turned around to see Robin standing behind us at one of the doors to the room, his Bloody Marian pointed the mountain of ice.

"Rosientoter, Niflheim, Odessa, you guys good?" He asked, his voice all business.

I was really only able to give off a strangled grunt in response, my ribs and lungs still aching.

"Fine, sir." Ymir huffed, exhaustion filling his voice.

"Yes, sir." Mila responded.

"Good, then lets get the fuck out of here. I don't want us to be here when I blow this place." Robin said.

We all nodded in affirmation. Mila giving me a shoulder to lean as she helped me out, and Ymir grabbing his damaged gun before following us out. Robin was the last to leave, keeping his eye on the mountain of ice, hoping against hope that it would hold long enough to matter.

After what felt like an eternity of walking through corridor after corridor, each breath filled with pain, we finally made back out to the outside world. I looked at the starry night sky above me, thankful I was finally out of that shithole, and looked back at the building it all went down in.

Once we were finally a safe distance away, we stopped. Robin pulled out a detonator and silently pressed the button.

There was a single, precious, trembling, moment of nothing.

Then.

_**BOOM!** _

Twelve simultaneous explosion detonated around all the structural supports of the building. Even form this distance, I could feel the pressure wave rumble through my body. After a moment of struggling resistance, the building finally gave way, and the once great, productive, and towering 7 story building fell to pieces. It caved in on itself, the tremors of it reverberating throughout the entire district. A massive cascade of dirt and debris continued to fall upon it as massive, multi ton, slabs of concrete, brick, and steel fell upon the mass grave we had left there.

Then finally, it ended.

As I heard the sound of the gunship approaching our positon, I let out a sigh of relief, letting the exhaustion fill me. I turned to see movement form the corner of my eye, and saw Robin handing me Llosgi.

"Thanks, sir." I said with a pained grunt, taking my weapon from him.

Taking the small moment of peace, I looked over everything, taking stock of the situation. Robin was mostly untouched, but his armor was covered in bright crimson streaks of blood that stood out against the silver of his armor.

I saw Robin handing her massive rifle, which had a scar across it from where the White Wolf attacked her, but it still looked serviceable. Bloodstains covered her onyx armor, hell, they covered all of our armor. Her helmet was still missing, likely little more than scrap metal, and the bleeding seemed to have stopped.

Ymir looked like he took the brunt of the hits, his armor covered in deep gashes, and some parts even shorn off, leaving only the under weave. He carried his Himlens-Dån in one hand, and the Slägga in the other, his body heaving from the loud, exhausted, breathes he took.

All around the pile of rubble that used to be the factory, I noticed the motionless bodies of white fang littering the wet, muddy ground. The stragglers Robin spoke off. He let no one escape while he set the charges on the factory.

Hearing the sound of the gunship getting louder, I looked up to see it's massive form hovering over us, the backwash from the roaring engines buffeting us. As the rain fell upon my bare head, I closed my eye for a moment and let it wash over me.

 _Finally, it's over_.

* * *

**Later that night**

I lay there in bed, my eyes closed as I just listened to the sound of her breathing, focusing on the warm of her body curled up next to mine in bed. Unlike some nights, it wasn't a naked post-sex rest, since A: Carol didn't feel comfortable having sex this late into term, and B: my everything still hurt.

So instead, it was a nice, relaxing, peaceful and comfortable rest beside each other, taking solace in each other's presence. It was, in one way, strange to experience such peace and serenity after the bloodbath that happened earlier in the night. In another, it was why I did these things in the first place, to keep her safe, to be able to come back to this life each and every night.

 _This…this is nice_ I thought serenely.

I felt something shift over me, a presence on top of me. Thinking it was just Carol, I opened my eyes.

And was met with twin black orbs staring right back at me.

I tried to jerk away, but I couldn't move.

I tried to yell, but I couldn't speak.

I was frozen, starring at the massive presence of the White Wolf hovering over me, it's massive maw inches from my face, so close I could feel it's hot, wet, breath wash over me every time it exhale. It stared down at me with that damn grin, its silver white fur practically glistening in the darkness of the room as it stood there unmoving.

 _You're supposed to be dead!_ I screamed inside, fear spiking within me

Then, I heard a powerful, thrumming, repeating, vibration coming from deep in its throat. It started slow at first, but got louder, more intense, as it went on. It took a while for me to recognize it as _laughter_ of all things.

I would have thought of some kind of sarcastic quip normally, but I couldn't. My entire being was filled with terror. Not just for myself, but for Carol. This thing was in my own damn house, inches away from my fiancé, the love of my life, and I couldn't even lift a fucking finger.

I was helpless

Then, as it continued to laugh at me, it's opened its mouth. It stretched wider and wider, the sounds of bones cracking and unhinging the only thing to break the dead silence of the room. Then, when it's gaping maw had fully opened to the black abyss within it, it stopped completely.

Then I…saw something…in that abyss. Something white.

Then, slowly, crawling from the dark, it extended out from within the beast. It came closer and closer, the sounds of something writhing and growing from its flesh interior growing. Finally, it came close enough to see what it was.

A head.

The head of human, their skin an ethereal white, and their hair an eternal dark. It looked at me with a grinning face filled with razor sharp teeth, and an empty black void where their eyes should. Soon, a white hand joined it, reaching out from the abyss to grab onto the side of the Wolf's jaw for leverage. It was joined by another. Then, working to gather to pull itself out from the Grimm, its upper body crawled out too.

"Hello mister watchmen, sir." It giggled, stretching a hand out to me

The hand grasped my chin in a vice grip, forcing me to look at its unearthly grinning face.

"I found you." It grinned.

I struggled against it's grip as hard as I could, doing anything to fight back, to fucking _move_. Panic set in as I saw it's gaze drift to Carol's sleeping form, still blissfully unaware of what was happening.

 _No, NO!_ I roared inside

Then I jolted out of bed, drenched in sweat, the White Wolf of the…thing…I refuse to call it human…gone. I looked to Carol, seeing her still curled up on the bed next to me. Taking deep breathes, I calmed myself down.

 _Relax Jack, it was just a nightmare._ I thought, reaching out to feel the bulge developing in Carol's abdomen.

 _You're safe, Carol's safe, and the White Wolf is dead_ I thought, rubbing it.

 _I think I need a glass of water_ I decided, removing my hand and stepping out of the bed.

But when I did, I felt something that made my blood run cold.

The feeling of ash, crinkling beneath my bare feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyways, there are a metric shit ton of things to cover in here
> 
> Jesus
> 
> Ok, so first, Aveline
> 
> Yeah, she's Jaune's eldest sister. That bit at the end of the last chapter was mostly to see if anyone would come up with some...interesting theories, as to who Aveline actually was. I honestly thought it was obvious as fuck, but you've surprised me before.
> 
> Anyways, the two of them are speaking french as the "family tongue" they don't actually know it was french, as they don't know of France's existence, and it's exclusive to the family. I thought it made sense for them to have a family tongue, especially for it to be french seeing as Joan of Arc is a french hero
> 
> At the same time, this brings me to the religious shit.
> 
> Honestly, I feel like Joan(or Jaune in this case) and religion should go hand in hand. After all, Joan of Arc was granted sainthood
> 
> Still, as implied by the God-Creator title, it isn't the Christian religion. The religion is kind of not-Christianity, and takes cues from other monotheistic religions that I feel would fit, namely the Maker from Dragon age and the God-Emperor from Warhammer 40K.
> 
> Also I happen to like religion and religious issues.
> 
> And that little thing with Ruby getting all sad and depressed at seeing Aveline and Jaune interact was her remembering, quite painfully, how she and her sister used to interact before it all went to shit. I'm telling you this now because I don't think I'll ever get to it, and I feel like doing it.
> 
> And Blake sort of going through an existential crisis/shift. The life she's living now is the complete inverse of the one she lived in the White Fang, one she, at the time, thought was the righteous path of sorts. Now, she's having all her world views continuously turned on their head. The people she fought against for so long are the friends and family of her own friends and teammates. She's befriending those she once thought to hate, and being pulled into systems she once fought to destroy.
> 
> We also finally got to see Mila in action! and she's a sniper using something that I find to make a lot of sense, and be devastatingly effective. In our world, a burst fire 50 cal would be overkill and a little unfeasible because on 50 cal round would pretty much kill anyone regardless of where you shot them. With Aura, however, I'm pulling some influence from Mass Effect, the incisor, and why it's supposed to work
> 
> That said, in the actual game the Incisor kind of sucks, the Indra is much better.
> 
> Anyways, the fight with the White Wolf was pretty intense.
> 
> Some of you might complain about the White Fang being nothing more than cannon fodder in here. Well, truth be told, as they appear in the show, I don't see most of them as being a serious threat. Large groups of them are repeatedly taken down by children. Granted, they are kids going to a school to train superpowered warriors, but they are still students. They lack actual combat experience and training that a full-fledged huntsmen or watchmen would have, not to mention the increase in aura I would assume would happen as they got older and stronger.
> 
> Essentially, what I'm saying is is that if team RWBY can kick the white fang's ass, the Watchmen and the White Wolf would have no real problem at all. The only sort of white fang threat in the room was the lieutenant, who was sniped before he could do much more than be a windbag.
> 
> Still, the White Wolf gave the Watchmen a nice good kick in the teeth. Honestly, I'm not too sure if a huntsmen team would do better, but I can say with certainty that none of the teams of students we have seen so far would have been able to handle it.
> 
> As for what Ymir did back there, I'll go into it in more detail later, but on a basic level, his semblance is the inverse of Yang's, all about being an indestructible walking fortress instead of dealing viscous damage the more punishment he takes.


	29. Scene 29: Bone White

**Saturday, October 22nd**

**8:00 pm**

**Weiss pov**

After hearing the door shut behind him, I glanced up from my scroll.

"How is she?" I asked, both worried and annoyed with her.

"Well, physically, she's fine" Ren began with a sigh, dark bags under his eyes.

"Mentally, however, she's still shaken up."

"Do we know what happened?" I continued.

Ren shook his head silently.

"Nora _says_ she was…electrocuted." He said, his face scrunching up in a confused frown.

"Electrocuted?" I muttered. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Her semblance, the ability to absorb electricity and turn it into power, would negate that, right?" I asked Ren. He would know better than I.

"Correct." He sighed.

"You saw for yourself, all getting struck by lightning did was supercharge her. I've known her since we were kids, and she's never been hurt by electricity. In fact, she usually just gets excited by thunderstorms." He added.

"She'd run out into the rain and dance, hoping to get struck by lightning, actually. And it usually ended up happening, to her joy. Whenever it did, she usually acted like she was on a sugar rush." He said with a wistful smile.

"That explains a lot," I muttered with a frown.

It wasn't serious, though. It was nice to see Ren actually smile again, considering how concerned he had been over his childhood friend.

"But…" I began, pursing my lips in thought.

"How did she even know what it felt like _to_ be electrocuted?" I asked, the thought occurring to me.

"That's…" Ren sighed,

"…a good question, actually." He said, raking his hand through his long black hair.

"I asked her myself, and she just says she knew. Doesn't really seem to know how, and _really_ doesn't care." He explained.

"Still, the way she described it to me, it _does_ sound like she was electrocuted, or at least shocked."

"Which should be impossible." I supplied.

"Yes."

I sighed deeply.

I was glad Nora was ok. As much as my partner drove me up a wall, she didn't mean anything _bad_ by it, that's just how she was.

And…honestly, I never wanted to see the way she looked after the incident with Lilith again.

Another part of me was actually, as much as I'm ashamed to say it, pleased. Nora did this to herself by acting far out of line of what was appropriate. She had molested a little girl, and gotten burned for it. She had no one to blame for it but herself. Seeing how she wasn't actually physically injured, I couldn't get too mad at Blake or Lilith for the retaliation either.

 _Maybe this will teach her to be less chaotic_ I thought.

Shaking the darker thoughts from my mind, I looked back up at Ren.

"How is she taking this?" I asked, knowing that he knew her best.

"She'll recover." He said.

"I'm not sure if this will really have an impact on her in the long run. She's been through a lot, and bounced back before." He told me, "But…"

"I don't think she's going to get over Lilith." He scowled.

"Really?" I questioned.

"Lilith shook her up really badly. When I mentioned her name, she practically begged me to keep Lilith away from her, and to tell her that she's sorry." He explained.

"That does sound rather out of character for her." I frowned.

"Honestly, I'm worried about how she'll react if she does see Lilith again," Ren admitted

"Do you think Nora would get violent?" I asked, worried about Nora's self-control and inviting more retaliation upon herself.

"I'm worried that she would have a nervous breakdown," Ren replied, startling me.

"Really?" I recoiled.

"Nora is _terrified_ of Lilith," Ren stated.

"And I don't blame her." He sighed, reclining in the chair he sat in.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"Because she did something to Nora that should be impossible. She hurt her with something that should have been her greatest strength." He explained.

"It's like the nightmares all over again for her." He added

"That's a chilling thought," I muttered, suppressing a shiver.

"How's Yang?" He asked me, switching topics.

"She fine," I said flippantly,

"When I told her what happened with Nora, she seemed concerned, but distracted." I elaborated.

"Distracted?" He asked.

"Probably with all the new clothes she got," I answered.

Ren frowned, which I responded with a helpless shrug.

Ren let out a resigned breath, and switched the topics again.

"So when should we be getting our new Dragon weave outfits?" he asked.

"As I said, it should arrive in time for the camping trip. Likely the weekend before we head out.

"Good." He breathed out.

Feeling the conversation dying, I decided to recline in my chair and return to my scroll, looking over the news reports of the demise of the White Wolf at the hands of Watchmen.

 _Well, at least I got to talk with Blake's team._ I thought, going over what all didn't go to shit.

 _And Blake seems like a nice girl_ I added.

 _Adorable, even,_ thinking about her reaction to the tuna I bought her, suppressing a chuckle.

 _And then there was Pyrrha._ I thought, biting my lip.

_Now_ _**that** _ _was dangerous._

* * *

**Sunday, October 23**

**10:45 AM**

**Aveline pov**

"Do we really have to go to church?" Jaune whined in the seat beside me as I started to take us away from the academy. Contrary to popular belief, there was actually a road path from the school to the city, it was just heavily monitored, even if that wasn't obvious.

Since I had my Hunter License, was an Alumni of the school, and not an officially listed rogue Hunter, I could get in and out without being hassled by the automated systems. If I stuck around, however, I might get a less than pleasant welcome from the teachers who remembered me.

Granted, the welcome would be more disappointed talks and looks than violence, but either way, I didn't feel like dealing with it.

"Really, Jaune?" I questioned, giving him a look as I drove down the switchbacks back to Vale.

"Well, going to church just sounds so boring." He said.

Turning my disapproving look into a mild glare, he decided to reassess his statement.

"Er, I mean, it's been forever since I've seen you, sis. Why not spend it doing something fun and important instead of wasting the day?"

I rolled my eyes at his terrible lying skills as I used my skills in Aural Sensing to guide my driving in lieu of my eyes.

Still, he might have a point. As important as taking him back to church was in my mind, there were some more pressing concerns.

"Ok." I relented. "We don't have to go to church."

"Yes!" Jaune cheered, prompting a glance from me.

"Uh, I mean, darn." He insincerely corrected.

"Well, there's always next week." I sighed loudly, knowing full well he could hear me.

"Wait what?" He questioned, pulled from his thoughts of victory.

"Oh, you heard me," I smirked.

The resulting groan brought out a laugh from me, finding humor Jaune's terrible planning skills after all these years, not to mention how easy he was to screw with.

_Oh, Jaune, it's been too long_

* * *

"So….why are we here?" Jaune asked, standing in the field with Crocea Mors in casual dress.

"Well, I believe it's because of the God-Creator's will, and perhaps even his boredom-" I began to spew philosophy in response.

"That's not what I meant." Jaune interrupted with a frown.

"Well, you didn't want to go to church. I have to get your education in _somehow_." I smirked.

Jaune looked away and grumbled about never being able to get one over on me.

"So." I began, pulling him from his thoughts, "You're wondering why I brought you out here."

"Yes?" Jaune said cautiously, worried by the look on my face.

"Training," I announced simply.

"Training?" He questioned.

I answered him with a nod as I rested my hand on the pommel of Manum Pallentis.

"Does this mean you're going to teach me how to make chains out of light!" He exclaimed, his eyes wide with naïve hope, and I swear to the God-Creator, they were sparkling.

_Sparkling_

"No."

And like that, all his hopes were crushed as he hung his head in disappointment. I suppressed another smirk at how much fun it was to screw with my little brother.

_I can't believe I almost forgot about this._

"No, what I did the other day was _far_ beyond anything you should be capable of right now. You said you only activated your Aura only a few weeks ago, right?" I asked.

"Um, yeah?" Jaune said, confusion evident in his face, not seeing where I was going with.

"Which means you haven't had _nearly_ enough time to get skilled at controlling your aura. And that's if you had a normal person's aura. As I said yesterday, ours is thicker, denser, and as a result, it's harder to get a handle on at first." I explained.

"Oh…right." Jaune realized

 _Ah yes._ I thought, suppressing a grimace _The infamous Arc density._

_This is going to take some time_

Shaking the thoughts from my head, I brought myself back on topic.

"But, since you brought it up, let's start there," I said.

"What?"

"With aura."

"Oh."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose as I began to realize I truly had my work cut out for me.

"Alright, let's start with flaring your aura," I said, getting the ball rolling.

"Uh…how do I do that," Jaune replied, obviously lost.

"Good question," I said with a nod.

"Flaring your aura is the foundation upon which all aural techniques are based on. There are a lot of ways to do it, and a lot of ways in which you can make your aura flare" I lectured.

"First, there's meditation. By meditating and reaching deep within yourself, you can slowly push it out in a more slow and controlled method."

"So we're doing that?" Jaune grimaced, not looking forward to meditating.

"Yes and no," I answered.

"Huh?"

"We _will_ be doing that over all-out training sessions. Eventually, at least. Meditating lets you get a good feel for you aura, which is important for control. At the same time, using that would take _way_ too long for you to get your first real grip on your aura." I explained.

"So…what _are_ we doing?" Jaune asked, confusion all over his adorably scrunched up face.

"The faster, more intense method," I said.

"Which is?" Jaune asked.

I grinned

He paled.

Then, I poured aura into my legs, kicking them back, and surging across the ground in between us. I stopped just before him, crossing the distance in less time than his untrained brain could even process my first movement, and shoved my palm into his gut. His aura reacted to the impact, spreading around his abdomen in an attempt to catch and cushion my blow.

Just as I had planned.

The instant his aura came out to block my hand, I poured my own aura out of my palm and into his. Normally, this would be a bit trickier to do. However, since we were closely related, our aura was very similar. That also had a large bit to do with the Arc family Aura in general, since aura between family this closely related isn't a universal fact of the world, more of a consistent trend with some outliers.

It also helped that the Arc family Aura was thicker, letting me get a better grip on it.

So, I flowed my aura out into his, intertwining them. Since he had absolutely no control over his, at all, it should have been pretty easy.

And it was, but…

There was something in there, resisting me. Not actively, more like a stubborn rock that didn't want to move than a bear resisting attempts to contain it. Since it wasn't actively resisting, I just chalked it up to his aura still being recently awakened and being unusually strong.

Still, compared to me and my mastery over it, it wasn't even a challenge to hijack his aura.

Though, hijack might not be the right word.

More like…giving it a helping hand.

So, with access to his aura, I gave it that little push, and flared it for him.

All this, from kickoff to flaring his aura, took less than a quarter of a second.

"Uff!" Jaune cried has he was flung back onto the ground.

"Owe" He groaned, rubbing his sore chest. Despite just being a palm thrust, and his dense aura blocking it, _and_ me holding back…I still pack quite a punch.

"What was that for?" He whined.

Rolling my eyes, I gestured back to him, "That."

"Huh?" He said, looking down.

"Whoa" he blinked

His whole body was glowing with the soft white light of his aura.

"How did you do that?" He said, looking back up at me in awe.

"Basically, I triggered your aura's defense, then reached in, grabbed hold, and pulled it out." I simplified. It wasn't _entirely_ accurate, but it was the essence of what I did.

"So this is what having my aura flared is like." He said, still marveling over his own glowing hands.

"Yup." I smiled, "How does it feel?"

"Tingly." He answered.

"Yeah, it'll do that." I shrugged.

"So…what now?" Jaune asked after a minute of processing his new state.

"Now…" I began, drawing Manum Pallentis from my belt.

"Now we put it to the test." I said with a smile, allowing my aura to flow through the conductive fingers of the rod. Once it was soaked in my aura, I took hold of it.

The fingers flexed and twitched, before falling completely under my command. They extend out in harmony, before curling on themselves, forming a ribbed ball at the end of the black hilt. And just like that, my rod had become a mace.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Jaune gulped.

"Oh come now, Jaune." I smiled widely at him.

"We're just going to have some good ol wholesome family fun."

* * *

**Later**

"I thought you loved me." Jaune complained in the car.

"It's called tough love." I retorted.

"It's called abuse."

"Ah, come on, you don't mean that. We had fun!" I grinned.

" _You_ had fun. I got thrown through a tree." He flatly responded.

"Actually it was two." I corrected.

"I don't remember two trees," Jaune said in confusion.

"Oh." I blinked

"That's bad."

Jaune scowled at me, to which I helplessly responded with a guilty chuckle.

"What was that even for, anyway?" He asked.

"Well, I needed to get a baseline for where you are now, before I know how to get you to improve," I answered.

"Oh." Jaune said simply, "How was I."

I cringed as I sucked in air through my teeth.

"That bad, huh?" Jaune said dejectedly.

"Yeah, it was pretty bad." I admitted.

"So I got beat up by my big sister for nothing?" He asked.

"Not for nothing. Now I know I need to start from scratch." I placated him.

"That sounds really bad."

"It's not that bad, I mean, that's where I started from."

At that, he perked up, gaining a measure of hope.

"Then again, I was about…11…when I started." I murmured, mostly to myself.

Which, unfortunately, caused him to wilt.

"Hey, cheer up, Jaune!" I said, trying to get him out of his depressive slump.

"Even if you're shit now, you got a lot of potential." I complimented.

"Thanks?" Jaune said, not sure how to take it.

"You're welcome." I responded.

"Still doesn't get over the fact that it feels like you broke me." Jaune complained.

"It's not that bad." I dismissed.

"My _everything_ hurts." He whined.

"That means it's working."

"You're a terrible sister."

"Psh, I'm your favorite sister."

"I have a lot of options."

"And most of them wanted to put you in a dress."

"That…is true."

"And the others wanted to pair you with a girl _in_ a nice dress."

Then I paused in thought.

"Except for Elise. She wanted to find a nice _guy_ for you." I commented.

At that, Jaune shivered.

"Never again." He muttered, his face pale in horror.

I grimaced, _what had I missed in these past years?_

_And do I actually want to know._

"So, am I your favorite sister or what?" I asked

"I don't know, Belle's pretty nice." Jaune commented.

"Would Ice Cream change your mind?" I offered.

"I'm not a child anymore, Aveline, you can't just bribe me with ice cream." Jaune pouted.

"Not even Napoleon?" I said in exaggerated surprise.

"Its Neapolitan!" Jaune cried indignantly.

"Meh, same thing." I said with a dismissive shrug.

"It is not! Neapolitan is the perfect blend of the classic flavors of ice cream, it has no equal!" He preached.

"Huh." I said simply, "Well then, I guess it's too bad you don't want me to get you the glory of it, then. Sounds nice."

"Whoa, hold on, lets not be hasty." Jaune said, backtracking.

"But Jaune, I thought you said you were too old for ice cream?" I said innocently.

"No, I said I was too old to be bribed by it." He explained,

"But…I might be willing to have some ice cream with my big sister I haven't seen in 8 years." Jaune put forward.

"I think I can do that." I said with a smile.

And so, a few minutes later, we found ourselves at the Stone Cold Creamery that near the police station. I had been there quite a few times myself. Hell, the shop was actually started by a retired officer who was wounded on duty, and is run by his family.

Lt. Gaunt may have been a hardass, but Creator's hand could he make ice cream.

I actually stopped to chat with him for a few minutes while Jaune took our ice cream and found a seat.

So it was too my surprise when I saw him sitting a table, with a girl hanging over him, her face inches from his as she stared into his eyes.

She held a pale umbrella in one gloved hand, using to balance herself with, and had strange brown and pink hair. She was wearing a white and pink jacket over dark pants and a dark blouse with a very complimentary neckline. Considering how she was leaning over him, he was getting quite the show.

A fact that filled me with burning rage.

 _That harlot!_ I internally fumed, _Seducing his naive, innocent, and pure soul!_

My hand twitched dangerously as it hovered over the hilt of Manum Pallentis. It was only by reciting that murder was a crime, and more importantly, a sin, that I managed to stay my hand.

Jaune, for his part, was staring at her wide eyed with a slack jaw. Expressions that only seemed to be enhanced as the girl slowly dipped a finger into his ice cream, carving out a nice piece through all three sections. She brought the ice cream carrying finger to her mouth, before slowly sticking inside, and sensuously pulling it out.

Narrowing my eyes, I marched my way over to them as my aura unconsciously flared, intent on pulling Jaune from the corrupting influence of the seductress before him. Before I reached them, however, the girl pulled back from Jaune, flashed him a smile, and skipped down the street, umbrella resting over her shoulder without a word.

Finally reaching Jaune, I looked down at him with a stern, disapproving expression.

"Who was that?" I questioned intensely, feeling the urge to break something, or more accuratly, some _one_.

Jaune didn't reply, his eyes glossed over, still in a daze.

"Jaune?" I said, snapping my finger in front of him

"Huh?" He said, pulling from his trance.

"Oh, I, uh, I don't know." He said, his face scrunching up in confusion.

"Hmm" I hummed in thought.

"My ice cream!" He exclaimed, pulling me from my thoughts.

I looked back down at him and saw that his precious Neapolitan ice cream was gone, cone and all.

That girl had slipped right out of his hands.

My instincts blaring, my eyes snapped upwards, searching the crowds for her.

But she was gone.

I narrowed my eyes further.

 _I have a bad feeling about her_. I thought suspiciously

Though, weather that was because she was a harlot that was seducing my little brother and stole his ice cream, or because of something else, I wasn't sure yet.

Still, she was nowhere in sight, and if she was half as good as I thought she might be, she was long gone by now.

I sighed, realizing there wasn't much I could do now.

"Don't worry, I'll get you a new one." I said, trying to placate him.

As I walked back to the counter, I frowned, my thoughts turning back to the strange girl. Something about her unnerved me, and I didn't like it. So, I decided that when I got back to the precinct I would look her up in the database. Shouldn't be too hard. After all…

_How many girls have pink and brown eyes?_

* * *

**Friday, October 28**

**7:00 PM**

**Goodwitch pov**

_Maybe I should come back later?_ I hesitated, standing before the door to her room.

I say her room, but in reality, it was more so the unused garage that Ruby had moved her bed into after one too many all nighters inside. She had all but planted her flag in the unused space, since I never put the car I had in there, not that I really used my car much in the first place either.

So, slowly but surely, she had set up shop there. Taking all sorts of things in there where her more...disrupting...experiments would be isolated from the rest of the house, as well as keeping the noise to a minimum.

But...over the past couple days, ever since she had returned from her shopping trip, she had been more withdrawn than normal. She had shut herself inside here to toil away in her workshop. I only saw her in the morning when I took her to Beacon, when I took her back, and during my time instructing her on dust. As soon as we were done, she just went back inside.

To be perfectly honest with myself, I hadn't actually noticed this until Thursday.

I knew something was...off...but I couldn't for the life of me tell what. Some part of me considered asking her teammates, but I didn't actually know them too well on a personal level, and another part of me felt like that would be a breach of trust with Ruby.

After hearing the near ever present roaring of the machinery at work die down, I solidified my resolve, and knocked on the door.

There was a pause, the air seemed to hold it's breath, then I heard the sound of something metal clattering onto something solid.

The knob on the door twisted, and I was greeted with the sight of Ruby in her standard dark attire covering every inch of her scarred skin, whilst her crimson cape was draped over her shoulders.

"Aunt Glynda?" She said quizzically, looking up at me with those inquisitive hollow silver eyes.

"Hello Ruby." I greeted with a nervous smile of a unsure teenager, and not one of the 38 year old woman I was.

"What is it?" She asked curiously.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing." I answered honestly.

At the tilt of her head, I decided to continue.

"I haven't had too much time to see you this week, and I wanted to see how you were doing." I continued.

She continued to look at me with that curious look, as if me coming in to ask about her was so weird. The entire time making me feel like I was doing something horribly wrong, and just making a fool of myself. This feeling of being deep in uncharted territory was something I felt an uncomfortably large amount of times during my time with Ruby. After all, despite nearly a decade as a teacher and headmistress of this school, caring for a child in such a personal way is a new, and frankly worrying, experience for me.

Sensing that the conversation was dying, I felt the urge to just apologize and leave. I fought against, straining my mind and grasping at anything I could do to get a foothold here.

"So…" I began, attempting to resist the urge to fidget under her unblinking gaze, and failing, "What have you been working on in here?"

When I saw her eyes brighten up and widen ever so slightly, I had succeeded.

" Do you actually want to know?" She asked in that quiet and flat voice, with just the barest hint of caution and hope in her tone.

"Yes, I'm very interested to know what you've been up to." I said.

While...not _exactly_ a lie, it wasn't my original purpose for coming her, still, it was a way in. Besides, I actually was curious as to what she had been doing.

"Well…" She trailed off, looking back into the room behind her, "If you're sure."

"I'm sure" I affirmed.

"Ok." She said, turning leading me into her room.

Stepping foot inside, I realized I hadn't actually been in here for a while, not since it last actually looked like garage. Now, it looked more like her own personal workshop. Not nearly as high-quality as the forge at the school, but more than enough for the "tinkering" she always seemed to do.

"So, do you remember the Thorn?" She began as she walked over to a desk.

"Yes, that was the...gun...you made before initiation." I said, still hesitant to use the word "gun" to describe the thing she had made. Still, i tried not to insult it, Ruby seemed quite proud and defensive about it.

"Yes, it was." She began. "And it's garbage."

 _Or not_ I thought, pausing briefly in surprise at her reaction.

"It's not that bad, is it?" I asked, genuinely curious. I didn't use guns, never had, and as such my knowledge about them was rather...limited.

"Oh, it is. Frankly, I'm ashamed to say that I made it in the first place."

"I mean, look at it." She all but exclaimed, holding up the gun in her hand.

"It's little more than a pipe and some bullets!"

"Isn't that what all guns are?" I asked before I could shut my mouth.

The absolutely withering look Ruby gave me made me wish I had.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that."

I blushed sheepishly at that, feeling slightly embarrassed by my ignorance on the subject that Ruby was so passionate about.

And passionate she was, this was the most expressive I'd seen her be in quite a while. And it wasn't faked, as it often was. Being the one who was teaching her who to blend in and act like a normal person, I could tell when she was just pretending to care.

"In any case," She continued, looking back at the Thorn, "This is garbage."

"First off, it's not very accurate. The iron sights I gave it aren't great, and the alignment is off. Plus, the ergonomics are terrible, it does not fit in my hand well at all, and the weight of it makes it hard to accurately hold in one hand with my strength."

"Then there's the recoil, which is monstrous considering it uses a .65 caliber bullet. The weight, while heavy, isn't nearly enough to offset it, and the recoil is absolutely punishing."

I blinked.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Basically I can't hit a target with this thing accurately beyond about...30 yards, and every time I fire it, I fracture my arm in 3 places." She explained for me.

 _Oh, ok_ I thought, getting the problem now.

 _Wait a minute_ I thought, latching onto something she had said.

"Wait, using this gun fractures your arm?" I frowned sternly at her.

"It heals in about 30 minutes." She murmured in protest, glancing away from me.

"I'm starting to think you enjoy hurting yourself." I commented with a glower, not like how much pain and torment Ruby put herself through.

"Well, that's why it's bad." Ruby defended "And why I needed to replace it."

"Ok." I nodded slowly, agreeing with her on that, at least.

"So that's why I made the Thorn Mark VI" She announced.

"The Thorn Mark VI?" I said, questioning the name.

"What's wrong with it?" Ruby questioned with a tilt of her head.

"It's just...calling it Mark VI seems...unusual." I explained.

"But that's what I did for the Rose Mark V. Besides, it's organized." She added with a confused look.

"The Rose Mark V?' I questioned, confused myself.

"Yeah, I showed you it, I told you about how it was made of hunter grade materials to make it stronger, and added the pike at the top and bottom, fixed some kinks and smoothed out the compacting system, and…" she began, before letting out a deep sigh

"You weren't paying attention, were you?" She said dejectedly.

I felt a sharp pang of guilt as I looked at her disappointed face, one of the few emotions she never seemed to have any trouble expressing, made even worse because I honestly couldn't remember Ruby talking about a "Rose Mark IV", just vague plans about an upgraded version of her scythe. I hadn't realized she had finished it, and made two more.

"I'm sorry, Ruby, I've just been so busy recently." I apologized, trying to defend myself.

"I get it." She sighed, "You have an incredibly busy job whose hours don't end when you get home."

"You don't need to blame yourself, you're only human, after all, you can't do everything." She added.

As comforting as her acceptance of this was, it was somewhat undermined by the implications of her calling me "only human". Ruby, despite my efforts, still didn't see herself as human. Most worryingly of all, it didn't even sound like she _wanted_ to be human. And it wasn't like she thought she was a faunus, in fact she didn't consider the two races seriously different, at least psychologically and culturally. Then again, considering how her father treated her, it's not surprising that she wouldn't want to be associated with that monster.

At the same time, however, her surprising maturity was welcome. Many times, things that would have riled up or depressed many of my other students, all several years older than her, Ruby met with a calm, level head, and understanding approach. Though, she could come off as condescending on occasion.

"Thank you for understanding." I said, giving her a small smile.

"So, what makes this Thorn Mark V so different?" I asked.

"It's the Mark VI." She corrected.

"Right."

"But, in a word, everything."

"Everything?"

"Well, everything save for the core concept of being a powerful revolver. Beyond that, nothing is the same."

"Ok…" I said slowly, trying to wrap my head around how that meant it could be different at all.

"So first off, I lowered the caliber down to just .50. After using it against Grimm, I realized that .65 was overkill. The amount of recoil it produced wasn't worth the results, and all in all played a big part in how unwieldy it was. Plus, the recoil forced it to have a painfully slow fire rate, lest I injure myself more severely." She began.

"Since recoil was such a big problem before, I did what I could to implement recoil dampening. This included lowering the barrel so that it fires the bottom most round in the chamber, as opposed to the topmost, so the gun doesn't want to flip as much. The gun also weighs about the same, but the weight's distributed better so it's more stable."

At this point I was nodding my head, while not actual comprehending most of what she was saying.

"I also implemented a sealed chamber system, which seals the chamber each time I pull the trigger. While it means I have to load each round individually, it _does_ make it so the bullets fly faster and more accurately, as less gas escapes from the gap in the chamber most revolvers have."

"It also means it can be silenced." She smirked as she finally got to the desk holding the gun in question.

"And here it is." She said, presenting it to me.

"...Ruby…" I paused, carefully picking my words.

"Why is it glowing green?" I asked.

I decided _not_ to go with my kneejerk reaction and ask her why the gun looked evil.

Because it was both. The gun looked predatory. Sleek lines ending in sharp corners, a very geometric design. On top of that was a winding pattern of glowing green Dust inlayed into it.

"It's wind Dust." She answered

" _That_ I understand. But, why?" I asked, unable to figure out why she would put dust in the gun itself and not the bullets.

"Well, it's all based on a theory. This is actually something of a proof of concept for me" She explained.

"And the theory is?"

"Ok, so you told me about how you could sort of "enchant" weapons by infusing it with dust, and how inlaying it with dust would produce specific effects depending on how you did it. That made me think about what all you could do through inlaying. Then I thought about what I could do with wind dust, and if I could use it to control all airflow with inlaying for a gun." She continued.

"So basically, I wanted to try and see if I could inlay wind Dust into a gun so that it would be silenced, instead of applying a silencer to it." She simplified.

I blinked

"That's fairly ambitious, considering we just started lessons on Dust a few weeks ago." I admitted.

"I've realized that. All I've _actually_ been able to make them do is glow." She said with a slight furrowing of her brow and pursing of her lips.

I hesitated, considering whether I really wanted to do this.

No.

I _wanted_ to do this, the question was, could I? After all, I didn't want to get her hopes up, only to get in too deep with no way out. To be honest, I hadn't actually done anything like this before. Still…

"I...could help." I offered tentatively.

"You can?" Ruby asked with slight tilt and raised brow.

"I _am_ something of an expert on Wind Dust," I began with a hint of pride.

"No, I mean, you would have time?" She corrected.

I blinked

"Well I…" I began

"Because I tend to work all through the night on this stuff. I don't need to sleep as often, remember? Since I haven't been straining myself, I've been going four or five days without sleep. I doubt a human like you would be able to keep up without consequence." She explained.

 _And there's that dehumanization again_ I internally sighed. Still, she had a point.

I had seen first-hand that Ruby really _didn't_ need that much sleep, and considering my duties, and general stress levels, I needed what little sleep I could get. Trying to keep up with her nocturnal abilities would be nothing short of foolish madness.

"True…" I began

At the ever so slight slump in her posture, I decided to quickly finish.

" _But_ , that doesn't mean I can't help." I said, an action which cause her to give me her undivided attention.

"I'm already helping you with numerous things, as much as I can in my free time. And I'm guessing you've been using the time at night to work on this project. Correct?"

She nodded her head slowly in affirmation.

"Then instead of constantly looking over your shoulder while you work on them all night, I can simply switch our topic of instruction during the day to this." I explained to her.

Honestly, it wasn't really too hard of a solution to figure out, the issue was, this seemed more like a personal project, I'm not sure if she would want me to intrude on it.

And just as I thought, she paused to think about it for a moment, considering her options.

"I... _suppose_ that would work." She said somewhat hesitantly.

 _But…?_ I silently added, knowing there was more.

"But I don't really want to miss out on the other lessons. I...enjoyed them." She admitted, glancing away from me.

As much as it warmed my heart to hear her openly admit she enjoyed our lessons, I still wanted to shake my head at her childish perspective, even if it was a bit warranted.

"Yes, well, unfortunately Ruby, we are just _human_. " I said with smirk, "We can't do everything in an instant, and we can't get everything we want."

She sighed deeply, her shoulders sagging in resignation, "I suppose you have a point."

"So?" I asked, wondering what her ultimate decision on this was.

"...I'd like to work on the Rose and Thorn." She finally decided after a moment of thought.

"The Rose too?" I wondered out loud.

"Yes." She affirmed with a nod, looking back up at me with those hollow silver eyes, filled with hidden and tentative layer of excitement, of all things.

"Ever since you told me about your college who could conjure storms with his staff, I've wondered what I could do if I attempted the same with Rose." She explained.

My eyes widened at that idea of hers. Not that it wasn't viable, far from it if Meryl was any proof, but more so what it meant. As much as I had hoped about her wanting to become a Dust mage, this was the first step she had shown in actually _applying_ it, instead of just learning it.

"Well, I'd be happy to help." I said , still a little stunned, and perhaps more giddy than woman my age should have any right to be.

And I was rewarded with another slight upturn of her lips.

Unfortunately, this was when my subconscious chose to remind me of why I was _really_ here.

"Ruby." I began, getting her attention again, "I've also noticed that you've seemed a bit...down...recently."

Ruby seemed to stop for a moment, all emotion draining from her face as it returned to a porcelain mask. In that breathless moment, I fearfully wondered if I had gone too far as the blood froze in my veins.

Then, she spoke.

"...The shopping trip Blake took us on incidentally brought up some bad memories." She finally said in an empty voice.

"Did….did something happen with your sister?" I asked, knowing full well that her team ran into Ms. Schnee's, and I had been afraid that that was the cause.

"No." She shook her head. "It wasn't her fault."

"I even got to see her again, not that she knows." She said, a small sad smile growing on her face.

"She looked happy." She said wistfully, "I wish I could still make her smile like that."

"But," She added with a frown, "She felt troubled by something, her soul felt like it was in turmoil."

"I'm worried about her." She admitted.

I frowned as well. Ruby's thoughts. I had learned that Ruby's Aural sense was, frankly, scary in strength and definition. It was so well defined that she tended to use it more than her actual eyes, which is why she didn't always look to people when she talked to them, because she didn't need to in order to direct her focus to them. But it didn't become truly frightening until it came to actual _people_.

When it came to them, she could sense their very soul, and describe in such a way that it almost seemed like it was a tangible thing she could touch, as opposed to the more wispy and vague sense that most people got.

I trusted Ruby, and if she said that she felt turmoil in Yang's soul, then I believed that was cause for concern.

_Thankfully, Dr. Enyo will be doing those mandatory psych evaluations in a week. She should be able to garner some insight from that._

_Still…_

"If that's not what's bothering you, then what is?" I asked

"…While we were out shopping, we ran into Jaune's eldest sister, Aveline." She said after a tentative moment.

 _Aveline?_ I thought, surprised

I remembered her, a very bright young student, one many considered a prodigy. Top of her class, charismatic, caring, and determined. She was the best leader any team could ask for. But for some reason she dropped off the map.

 _I can't remember why, though_ I thought with a frown.

"It turns out she's a detective in the VCPD." Ruby added.

 _Ah…that would do it_ I thought, suppressing a grimace.

Shortly after graduating and getting her hunter license, she went into the police academy. She actually told her team she was going to become a Watchmen.

An action that felt like a slap in the face. Here we had a prodigious young woman from an old lineage of prominent hunters, and she was throwing it all away to join the _enemy_.

It may seem harsh to outsiders, but most hunters, myself included, didn't exactly view Watchmen in the best light. Still don't, really. While I'm not going to go out of my way to kill or undermine Lt. Niflheim, I still don't trust him. The Watchmen were put together for one reason, and train only to do one thing, after all.

Kill us.

The Hunters

The defenders of mankind for generations, and yet they were born of paranoia and fear, made to counter and fight us instead of using their talents to defend humanity against Grimm as they should.

 _But…ruby said she was a detective, not a watchman_ I realized, pulling myself from those rather poisonous thoughts.

Still a waste of her talents, in my opinion, even if it was a more…respectable…role in society than her colleges.

Still, I'm not sure what meeting with Aveline Arc would have to with anything, other than being Jaune's older…sister…

_Oh…._

"So they…reunited?" I supplied cautiously, having a feeling of where this was going.

"Yeah." She nodded, "Apparently they hadn't seen each other in 8 years"

"And it reminded you of Yang?" I guessed.

"It made me wonder if that could ever happen with me and Yang." Ruby clarified with downcast eyes.

"It's been years since we've had a relationship like that. Even after I came back, it was never the same. It didn't feel like I was her little sister anymore." She confessed.

"And it just made me wonder if I ever would again." She sighed.

"Well," I began, "the first step would involve talking to her."

"You're going to have to reveal yourself to her sometime. When were you planning on doing that?" I asked.

"I don't know." Ruby admitted, biting her lip. "But I'm afraid that dad got to her, that she hates me too."

"I want to reveal things to her under _my_ terms, when _I_ determine everything. It has to go just right, or else I could lose her forever." She explained.

I bit my lip, knowing that, as much as I might not like it, she had a point.

"I'll help you anyway I can." I offered.

"And…if it doesn't go as well as your were hoping." I began, biting my lip as a broached a worrying idea,

"Just know that I'll always be there for you." I said to her.

She looked up at me, blinking in surprise at my declaration.

"..Thank you." She finally said.

"You're more than welcome." I smiled.

"But was there anything else?" I asked.

"Oh." Ruby perked up, remembering something.

"Nora molested me."

I blinked, my mind unable to process the words that came out of her mouth.

Then, it did.

" _What?!"_

* * *

**Sunday, October 30**

**11:30 PM**

**Torchwick pov**

"So Mila, what's with the hubbub around here?" I asked, curious, and not having much else to do. "You guys killed the White Wolf, after all, right?"

"I'm not telling you." She frowned

"You _sure_ about that?" I inquired.

"Yes, and nothing you say or do can change your mind." She firmly declared, turning from me.

"Well, if you insist on giving me nothing to do…" I began with a sly smile.

When I saw the slightest twitch in her, I knew she could see where this was going.

"Knock Knock." I began

"Oh please no." I heard her whisper over her breath.

"Come on Mila, this is team effort! We have to work together!" I responded with exuberant cheer.

"Why me?" She whispered again.

"Knock Knock." I repeated.

"Come on Mila, Knock Knock." I continued.

"I'm not doing it, Roman." She asserted

I knew she would

"Well I'm not going to stop until you do." I answered with a smile.

" _Please_ shut up." She whined.

"You'll have to shoot me."

"I'll do it." She warned, turning to me with a stern frown, one hand resting on the pistol holstered by her side.

"No you won't." I grinned

"Are you sure about that?" She said, her eyes narrowing.

In response, my grin grew into one of my blindingly bright and beatific smiles of complete and utter confidence as I looked her straight in the eyes.

We stayed like that, for a while. Stuck in our little starring contest. Then, finally, she deflated, and gave in.

"Fine."

I knew she would.

"Knock Knock." I began again.

"Who's there," She said in a defeated voice.

"Etch." I answered, grinning widely at her.

"Etch who." She responded, her resigned acceptance turning to confusion.

"Bless you." I said, barely able to hold in the mad laughter in anticipation of her reaction.

She froze for a second, as she usually does when she tries to figure out what the hell we just said. Then, I saw that little spark in her eye that told me she got it.

"Ugh." She moaned, sounding physically pained by it as usual

"Roman, why?" She cringed

"Well, I mean, you don't give me my smokes, you don't tell me what's going on. You're not exactly giving me a lot of options here." I explained with a shrug.

"Are you saying this is my fault?" She questioned with a downright adorable glare.

"You said it, not me." I grinned innocently.

Her brow began to twitch violently as she continued to glare at me in that pathetic kicked puppy sort of way.

 _I'm always amazed at how much fun this is._ I thought with a smile.

"I hate you." She groaned, massaging her temples with closed eyes.

Feeling that I had gotten her to loosen up enough, I decided to press the advantage.

"So, can you at least tell me why I'm still locked up here?" I asked.

"Because you're guilty?" She said in a voice that practically screamed "duh", the unspoken question of where I was going with this hanging in the air.

"That, I get. What I don't get is why I'm still in jail, and why I haven't gone to trial or prison, or anything like that." I asked, "Are you guys just going to leave me in here for the rest of my life?"

"Oh, that." She said, her face grimacing in disgust.

"Well…it's politics." She sighed.

"Oh." I said, surprised.

That actually explained everything.

"You see, the kingdom of Atlas _really_ wants to try you for the many crimes you committed there, as do some of the other kingdoms, but Atlas is the biggest pusher. At the same time, however, Vale is saying they should be the ones to try you, considering the damage you've done here a bit more recently." She explained.

"I see." I sighed.

Considering how much of a mess kingdom politics could be when it involved something that wasn't some unifying danger or something, then I could be here for quite a while.

"Lovely." I said with a pained smile. "At this rate, I'll spend more time in a jail cell then prison."

"What, excited to go to prison?" She smirked.

"Well, in prison I'd actually get to move around and do things. I mean, sure, this little place is fairly cozy, but I'm literally dying of boredom." I answered.

"And that's cruel and unusual punishment, by the way." I remarked with a pointed look.

"How do you know you won't be executed?" She suggested.

"Oh, because despite being a genius criminal mastermind the likes of which the world hasn't seen before, I'm not that bad." I said, "It's not like I'm some kind of depraved serial killer, or a pedophile child rapist and killer."

"Trust me when I say this, Mila, there are _far_ worse in the darkness of the world." I said as I looked in her eyes, trying to impress upon her the seriousness of my words.

She nodded slowly and warily. I could see she had accepted them, but the sudden seriousness of myself had caught her off guard, not mention how ominous I was being.

 _Doesn't make it any less true_ I thought cynically.

Then I heard a beeping sound coming from her.

Surprised and confused, she pulled out her scroll and looked at it.

"Huh." She said

"What is it?" I asked, now thoroughly curious.

"Apparently the chief wants to see me for something, and Officer Rosientoter is going to take my place." She said, looking at her scroll.

"Aren't you supposed to, like, relieve each other in person?" I asked, having seen them do this many times before.

"Yeah…" She trailed off

She gave me a pointed look of suspicion, for rather obvious reasons.

"Don't look at me, I have no idea what's going on," I said, raising my hands up in surrender, actually telling the truth, for once.

"Hmm." She hummed in thought for a moment

"Alright, well, have fun without me." She said, walking off with a wave.

"Oh, great." I sarcastically said to no one.

"Now I _literally_ have nothing to do."

So, I sat there, leaning up against the wall, just waiting and thinking.

 _Maybe this is part of cinder's plan to get me out?_ I considered.

Honestly, I had sort of given up hope for her getting me out of here. It had been about 3 months, if she hadn't done it yet, she wasn't going to. I can see why she wouldn't, however. This police station was a literal fortress, filled with cops, and a Watchmen squad. Getting in and out cleanly would be…difficult.

If I were her, I'd wait until I was being transported, then strike there. Unfortunately, since politics had gotten involved, that might be a while.

_Who knows? Maybe it's really nothing?_

No sooner had I thought that, than did I hear the sounds of boots clapping against the concrete floor.

"Jack!" I said cheerily, recognizing the cadence of his step.

"How ya been?" I greeted with a smile before I even saw him. "The fiancé been treating you good? Having some nice kinky fun in the bedroom?"

"No need to be shy, why don't you give me all the dirty-" I began, before cutting myself off in shock.

"…details…" I trailed off absentmindedly.

Sure enough, Jack was the one who turned the corner. Same watchmen armor, same short dirty blonde hair, same weapons, same gear, same everything.

Except…

…For the blood pouring from his eyes, ears, and nose. His eyes were bloodshot, thick, crimson, tears streaming down his face in rivers from every orifice.

"Jack?" I gulped.

He didn't respond, instead, he marched forward, before stopping in front of my cell. His eyes were blank, bloodshot, and distant, staring far off beyond me.

"Jack? You're freaking me out." I said, getting very unsettled by what was happening.

Then, I heard it.

A distant, barely even there, sanity crumbling, buzzing.

The lights in the hall and my cell flickered.

A chill came into the air.

A feeling of inexplicable but profound _wrongness_ began to fill me, as it pervaded the air around me.

I _knew_ this feeling.

I had felt it before.

And I knew it could only mean one thing.

Sure enough, like a wraith slipping out of the darkness, _she_ slipped around the corner of my cell.

A small girl, looking barely 12 years old, wearing black boots, long dark pants, a black turtleneck sweatshirt, and a tattered blood red cape with a hood thrown over her head. Shoulder length black and crimson locks spilled out from the edges of the hood, and alabaster white skin like a porcelain doll's peaked out from her chin and hands.

She stopped several feet from Jack, and slowly turned to me. She looked at me with those hollow silver eyes of hers with what I can only describe as bored interest.

It was her.

The girl that put me in here.

With her in my presence, all semblance of _vengeance_ fled my mind, in place of pure, primal, fear born from the mysteries of her existence.

"Red." I greeted with a nervous chuckle.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, more rhetorically than anything else.

She looked at me inquisitively, like I was a particularly interesting bug, and tilted her head as she considered my question.

"I…" She began, her voice barely a whisper in the dead air, but still clearly audible.

"I…am here to tie up loose ends." She answered.

No sooner had she said this, then did she reach into her cloak to her side, and from it, she drew a long, large, sinister looking, black revolver.

"Whoa! Red, calm down, no need to get drastic!" I said, panic rising in me.

With this cell draining my aura, there was no way I would be able to do anything about getting shot. I was helpless and defenseless to her whims.

She raised her hand cannon in the air, taking aim with it.

"Red, we can talk about!"

She pulled back the hammer using her thumb with an audible _click_

"Jack!" I said, hoping beyond hope that he would snap out of it.

But instead, he continued to stand there, his bloodshot eyes seeing nothing.

I turned back to her just in time to see her pale finger squeeze the trigger.

_BANG_

* * *

All was quiet that last Monday morning in October, when the dawn had yet to come and the night still ruled. Fall had come into full session, the air was turning cool, and the leaves were changing. All were asleep at the witching hour, the sounds of the city at their quietest as a relative peace descended over everything.

Then

In a flash

It was gone

The ground shook, the earth trembled, and the sky burned.

People woke from their homes, and turned to the tv to find comfort in knowledge. Instead, they heard this.

" _Just moments ago, the West Vale City Police department was demolished in a massive chain of explosions. First responders are at the scene right now, but no word yet on the casualties."_

" _At this moment, we can't say one way or another whether this was an accident, but it is believed that this was an attack by the terrorist organization, the White Fang"_


	30. Scene 30: Blood Red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyways, this chap was an absolute thrill to write.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> I recommend...well, I recommend a lot, but here are the highlights of songs to listen to while reading this.
> 
> After Midnight By Dorothy(For this whole damn night)
> 
> Blood on My Name By The Brother's Bright(For fire and death)
> 
> God's Gonna Cut You Down By Johnny Cash(For death.)
> 
> Heathens By Twenty One Pilots(For Ruby and Purgatory)
> 
> Killing Strangers By Marilyn Manson(For Ruby and the obvious)
> 
> No Place Like Home By Todrick Hall(For Purgatory, and probably Lucifer)
> 
> Paint it Black By Ciara(For Ruby)
> 
> Twisted Transistor By Korn(For Ruby)
> 
> First of the Year (Equinox) By Skrillex (For Ruby in general. It makes way more sense if you watch the Musice Video.)
> 
> Some of these will definitely be reoccurring, and I encourage you to give them all a try.
> 
> These are all what I listened to and thought of when I wrote and planned this whole thing. It's not the whole list, but it is the highlights.
> 
> By no means do you have to listen to all of them, or any of them, though if you want, you can just give that whole list the finger(or whatever the hell your equivalent is) and get on the meat and potatoes of the story.
> 
> So, without further dicking around, here you go.

**Sunday, October 30**

**10:00 pm**

**Jack pov**

"Robin, just listen to me."

"I _am_ listening to you, Jack."

"You're not taking me seriously."

"I'll start taking you seriously when you start making sense."

"Dammit Robin!" I yelled, slamming my hand on his desk.

He gave me a disapproving look and said, "Jack, listen to yourself."

"I'm telling you, the White Wolf is still alive," I exclaimed.

"We demolished a building on top of it." He pointed out flatly.

"It survived everything else we threw at it." I countered, "And it's not like we found it's body."

"Grimm don't _leave_ bodies. They evaporate or some such shit when they die." He retorted.

"So your proof that it's dead is that you can't find it?" I exclaimed.

"And yours is a bad dream?" He shot back

We glared at each other for a moment before dropping it. After a minute or two in tense silence, I decided to break it.

"Robin, I'm serious." I began.

"I know you're serious," Robin responded.

"That thing was in my home," I said.

"How the hell did it get in your home, jack? It's way too fucking big to fit through the door." He questioned

"I don't know!" I shouted

"But...I'm scared, man., I admitted.

"That thing was this close to Carol. To my child. I-I can't risk that I'm just imagining things, you know?' I explained.

Robin let out a deep sigh, his desk chair creaking as he reclined in it, throwing his hands behind his head as he looked up to the ceiling in thought.

"I get what you're saying." He began

"I just find it hard to believe that the White Wolf survived. Plus, we already announced that it was dead. If we take our word back, the city won't trust us, we'll look like idiots, and the city will be in a panic again." He continued.

"Robin-" I started, opening my mouth.

"- _But_ -" He interjected, looking back down at me.

"I've known you for 18 years." He said earnestly, "I trust you."

I nearly recoiled in surprise.

"If you say that the White Wolf is still alive, I'll believe there's a _chance_ you might be right." He said.

"Thank you, Robin." I blinked.

"I still think this is just trauma from how the White Wolf almost killed you, and these are just nightmares, but there's a chance you're right." He elaborated.

"So, you go do your nightly guarding thing, and I'll do some scouting. If I don't see something in a couple weeks, then we drop it." He explained.

I was about to protest, when he cut me off again.

" _But_...if we find something…" He began, looking me straight in the eye with his own dark forest green pair, "We'll take it to the captain, and you'll have my full support."

I sat there, staring at him, stunned at how things had turned out.

_This is...this is better than I hoped._

"Robin...I...I don't know what to say." Stunned by his support.

"Don't mention it." He grinned.

"Seriously, though, don't mention it. They'll have my hide if they thought I was wasting my time hunting after something we were supposed to have killed." He grimaced.

"But that's enough of this. I'm heading down to the Basement to get all suited up. You better get all dressed up for you night shift too." He pointed out as he got out of his chair.

"How late am I for that?" I asked, following him out

"About an hour." He responded nonchalantly

"Oh. Mila's not going to be happy." I cringed.

"Well, better her than me" I muttered as we got to the massive steel doors of the central elevator.

After the doors closed around us, I turned back to Robin and said, "Seriously, though, thanks. I don't know how to thank you."

".Just name your first born son after me and we're cool." He quipped with a straight face.

"What if Carol's having a girl?" I asked since we didn't actually know yet

"Then I guess you better keep trying." He smirked

"I think I can do that." I grinned.

* * *

**Sunday, October 30**

**11:30pm**

I rode the elevator back up by myself, Robin leaving out the entrance from down there. I was dressed back up in my Watchmen armor, Sleas and Losgi holstered by my sides and Mawr in my hands.

This stuff is normally locked in the Basement, the vault under the station where the primary armory is located, as well as the motor pool. It was actually a massive sprawling expanse that extended underneath all e of the station, and actually a little past it thanks to the utilities and backup generator. There was even a cargo elevator to the airpad from the internal hanger.

I stepped out of the elevator, humming a jaunty little tune to myself, in good spirits now that Robin believed me, and was actually going to look for evidence for me. I mean, hell, the only way tonight could get better is if I finally get to shoot Torchwick.

 _Things are finally looking up_ I smiled.

Then, I noticed something.

I stopped and just listened for a moment. There was an unnatural silence around me, especially considering I was supposed to be in the heart of one of the busiest of Vale's Police Stations.

 _Maybe...maybe it's just a slow shift?_ I considered.

But I couldn't shake the feeling I was getting.

Then, the loud clapping sound of a boot hitting the hardwood floors of the station echoed around me. A not unusual sound, normally, but it there was something about it. It was...solitary, and unnatural, for some reason. The sound of it seemed to come from all around me, sending a chill down my spine and goosebumps up my neck.

I looked around the intersection of hallways.

Front, empty

Left, empty

Right, empty.

Behind?

 _Empty_ I frowned. There was nobody here.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm myself.

 _There's nothing wrong Jack._ I told myself _you're in the heart of the station, you're more than safe here._

And with that, I let out a cool breath of air, and turned around.

And saw before me, a little girl.

A little girl draped in a Blood Red cloak, with dark, shadowed clothes underneath. Her head was tilted down, her hood casting it in shadows.

I recoiled in surprise, unprepared for the sight of this girl before me.

"What the fuck!?" I exclaimed, my breath coming out as vapor clouds that hung in the air.

Suddenly, I felt cold, the air around me turning crisp and wet, filling with the scent of ozone and rotting flesh.

Unsettled by the turn of events, I raised my gun at the girl before me, getting a feeling of incredible unease from her, of wrongness, as if she was an unnatural abomination that was an affront to even the most basic of the world's laws.

Then, she raised her head, and revealed her face to me.

And I froze.

Those solid silver eyes enraptured me.

The pale, lifeless skin disturbed me.

But her face...her face horrified me.

"No…" I said, breathlessly, unable to comprehend it.

She looked up at me with a flat glare, as if I was no better than an annoying mosquito that had bought her ire.

"You can't be…" I continued, barely able to believe what I was seeing, what I was _thinking_.

I saw a flash of movement come from within her cloak, and I reacted, drawing my weapon, pointing it at her head, and began to squeeze the trigger.

Then, suddenly, the world become enveloped in shadows. I heard the sound of rushing winds all around me. Then, when everything was covered in an eternal darkness, a beacon of light exploded out from behind her in a deafening blast of thunder. I could feel the forces before me trying to tear me apart, piece by piece, as they buffeted me. I clenched my eyes shut tightly, bracing myself from the storm of light and sound that assaulted me. It took everything I had to keep from being swept away by its fury.

Until suddenly, it was gone.

I paused for a moment, before I finally opened my eyes.

I was not- _could_ not, be prepared for what I saw.

I was…

I was in space.

I was in an eternal darkness as black as night.

And in front of me what I can only assume to be the sun. Tendrils of white hot energy arced off its form, spiraling out into the inky darkness around me. It was so…massive…as well. It dwarfed me, easily, taking up my entire field of view to look at it, like a wall of light. I could see it slowly curve at the ends, turning back away from me. It simply _exuded_ power, and in doing so, made me feel so…small.

And I…I was just…floating…in here.

No, I was standing, but on _what_.

I looked down and saw nothing beneath my feet. Instinctively taking a step back, I felt my foot fall, before hitting something solid.

Something _solid_.

But there was _nothing there_.

"What the hell is going on?" I whispered to myself, freaking out inside.

I held my gun in a white-knuckled death grip. I had seen some shit, but this?

I had no idea how to even _process_ this.

Then I heard a sound, a sound like buzzing of live current of electricity. It zipped around me, circling me. I spun around, trying to track it down, but it, whatever _it_ was, was too fast for me to see. Finally, it zipped past-no, _through_ me, and stopped behind me. I spun on my heel, and brought my weapon face to face with…

Some... _thing_.

"What the fuck?" I said in horror, having no other words for what I saw.

It was like a living shadow.

Yes, a puppet made of light and shadows.

It was like a silhouette of the girl that I had seen before me earlier. Same height, same basic profile. Even something looked like a cloak. But every inch of it was covered, no, _made_ of this…darkness. All of it, black as night, completely one color.

But her- _its_ eyes and mouth were filled light.

Light like the light from the star, but….jagged, and vibrating. Like its eyes and mouth were made of white lightning. The ends of its eternally empty midnight hair were tinged with this bone white livewire light, as was the outline of its entire frame, making it stand out from the inky blackness around us.

And its mere _presence_ was filling my head with warning signs. Everything inside me told me that this thing was wrong, unnatural, an abomination.

"What are you?!" I shouted, pointing Mawr at it.

"Where the hell are we?! What is this place?!" I demanded.

Instead, it just continued to stare at me, cocking its head to the side as it gazed at me with those brilliant silver-white eyes.

"Answer me!" I yelled, my finger hovering over the trigger.

It continued to stare, and for a moment, I thought I would have to yell again, that it didn't understand or something.

"…this…." It began slowly.

"…This is purgatory" It spoke, the jagged line of light where its mouth should be vibrating in time with its words. Its voice wasn't just one voice. There was the voice of women and children, combined with the buzzing of electricity.

Just like everything else about it, it was inhuman and unnerving.

"This is my home." It answered.

"I know what you are." I snarled.

It cocked its head to the side again as I got the feeling of amusement from it.

"You're the White Wolf, aren't you?" I growled, resisting the urge to just put a bullet through it's head.

Her face…

Back in the real world, when I saw her face, I was horrified because it was the same face I saw on that _thing_ that came out of the white wolf. It was the same face as that pale, eyeless, monster inside it.

"But not only that…" I began, "Oh no."

"At first, I thought the White Wolf was just a weird Grimm." I continued, giving it a grin, twisted in angry pride.

"But now, I've realized the truth"

Now that I had seen her-it, now that I was here, it all started to make sense. All the pieces started to come together. The picture…it was impossible, illogical, a fairy tale, but it was the only answer that made sense.

And I had something I wanted to get off my chest

"Oh?" It challenged

"You're a demon," I smirked.

Then, all amusement drained from its unearthly form.

"I thought that that was just the thing of storybooks, you know? Just fairy tales." I elaborated.

"But it all makes sense now, those black and silver eyes. It's just like the stories. 'The eyeless demon corrupts all it touches'." I laughed, at the edge of my own sanity as I recited poetry.

Here I was facing a storybook character in another dimension. All logic had been thrown out the window long ago. In the face of that, what else could I do but laugh?

But this thing, this _demon_ , wasn't laughing. It seemed to frown at me, displeased by my words. Undoubtedly insulted and hurt by the truth.

"But don't worry, _demon_." I said with a snarl, "I'll put you out your misery."

"Now just do me a favor, and die." I said, as I pulled the trigger of Mawr, and sent a 6.5mm incendiary round straight into its head.

* * *

**Monday, October 31**

**00:01 am**

**Torchwick pov**

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she squeezed the trigger. The trigger _clicked_ into place, and the hammer flew forward and struck the firing pin. A flash of light and smoke erupted from the barrel with a _bang_ , as the bullet spun from it. It flew the air, straight and true as the booming blast of the gun reverberated through the air. Finally, it hit its mark.

Jack's head.

The bullet smashed into his aura, preventing it from ripping through his head. Still, the sheer force of it smacked his head to the side. On impact, the bullet seemed to explode into a cloud of vapor and amber liquid on his face. As he regained his balance, he inhaled the remnants of the vapor cloud, leaving almost no sign anything had happened.

I blinked, not expecting something so…anti-climactic.

Sure, I knew she was going to shoot Jack in the head, and then probably me, but I had thought that she would have stripped him of his aura first or something.

Before I had too much time to think about it, however, it happened.

It started with a cough from Jack. Then, he clutched his chest, he coughing rising in intensity. Soon, his coughing turned into pained, desperate wheezing. Blood continued to pour from his eyes, nose, and ears as he fell to his knees.

Then, with one, final, rasping breath, he collapsed onto the floor.

" _What the hell was that!?_ " I spoke breathlessly with wide eyes as I stared at his body, stunned by what I had seen.

Before I could think further on it, she turned her attention to me, her gun pointed straight at my face through the holes in the door.

"Wait, Red! We can talk about this!" I pleaded.

As I spoke, she stepped toward the "window" of my cell.

"I-I can give you anything you want, name it and-" I began

Then, as I rambled, she lowered her gun and brought up her hand to the electronic lock on the door. She put her hand against it for a moment, before the lock blared with the confirmation alarm. The door to the cell opened to her whim and, for the first time in far too long, gave me freedom, limited though it was.

"…Uh…" I paused, dumbfounded, "You're _not_ going to kill me?"

"…Why would I kill you?" She questioned with a look that made it seem like I had just said one of the stupidest things she had ever heard.

"Well, I mean, you said you were tying up loose ends, so…" I trailed off, expecting her to see the logic.

She just stared at me with that tilted head and a bewildered face for a moment, before she shook her head, and stepped away from the cell, giving me the room to step out.

"Ok…so you're here to…rescue me?" I said carefully, not wanting to piss off the creepy girl that could still kill me at any moment.

"...I prefer the term, 'retrieve'...but yes." She answered calmly.

"Cool," I said slowly, still coming to terms with what was happening.

"So..." I began, turning to the body of the man I knew as Jack, "What did you do to him?"

"The same thing I did to your men." She said, turning to look at her handiwork. "I consumed everything he was."

And just like that, her words threw me back to the first time I meet this strange little girl.

* * *

**Several months ago**

"Alright you idiots, you did a not completely shit job at collecting that Dust, but Bob and Steve are being a little quiet. Why don't you morons find out why, while I take the Dust back to the Bullhead?" I "Suggested" to them.

They looked at each other nervously again, but were smart enough to know the difference between a suggestion, and a "suggestion". So, following my orders, they dispersed and searched the shop for idiot 1 and 2.

Meanwhile, I took the Dust they had collected in the briefcases and left the shop. I decided to wait outside for a couple seconds outside the shop to see if anything would happen. Instead, nothing happened.

There was total, absolute, silence.

I couldn't see any of the men moving around the shop, the shop keep, couldn't hear any screams of pain or surprise.

Nothing.

Then, I recognized there was a slight, quiet, whisper like, buzzing. It was like the buzzing you hear from a TV that's on, but isn't playing anything, it's just on. It unnerved me, and I don't know when it started, I just realized it had been there the whole time. I don't know how, but I just _knew_ it was connected to…whatever…was going on in that shop. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, the lights in the shop went out.

 _Okay…that's creepy_. I thought to myself. _I should probably leave now_

So, with that thought, I turned around to make my way to the Bullhead Cinder was waiting for me in.

And was instead met with someone standing behind me.

"AH!" I yelped, jumping away from the person who managed to sneak up on me.

This person, whoever they were, they were incredibly stealthy. After all, they managed to sneak up on _me_ , a master thief. They wearing a tattered, shredded really, red hooded cloak. The hood covered their head, so I couldn't see their face, so I couldn't tell too much about them, but considering their short height, they barely came up to my stomach, and their androgynous body shape, I was willing to bet they were a child.

More importantly, this was the source of my bad vibes. My instincts were telling me to leave _now_.

"Hey…kid…" I began to say as I tried to move past them towards the Bullhead. I circled around the kid, not daring to look away until I was completely past them.

At that the kid looked up, looking me in the eyes with their own hollow silver ones.

Now that I could see their face I could tell that this kid was _probably_ a girl, likely no older than 12. She was…unsettling to look at. Her face was mostly expressionless, but her eyes held a degree of curiosity. That being said, she just sort of…radiated…a sort of unease, of creepiness.

That, of course, was before I noticed the splotch of blood on her cheek, blood she didn't seem to care about.

"Uh…right, so…bye kid." I said, now having circled around her, the entire time I didn't dare take my eyes of the creepy girl.

Now that she wasn't in my way anymore, I turned back around, faced forward, and ran toward the building the Bullhead was behind.

At least…

….That's what I _wanted_ to do.

Instead, when I turned around, the girl was once again in front of me, staring straight into my eyes again.

I jumped in shock, surprised by her second appearance.

 _How did she?_ I thought, turning back to see if she was still behind me and if this was just her creepy twin or something.

Instead, I only saw empty air. Turning back, I noticed she hadn't moved from the spot, and was still staring at me with mild curiosity, like a child looking at a bug crawling on the ground, deciding what to do with it. She just looked at me, unblinking, with those soul-piercing silver eyes.

"Uh…could you…move, kid?" I asked, unnerved by her presence.

In response she just tilted her head to the side, still not taking her eyes off me.

"…Roman…Torchwick?" She asked slowly, as if not sure if she was right.

"Uh…yes?" I responded hesitantly, not necessarily liking the way she said that. There was no fear or recognition in the way she said it. She was checking to be sure she was right for some... unknown purpose.

At that, she smiled, a small smile, but sweet. It was the innocent smile of a child, filled with no true malice. She looked pleased, happy that she was right, that she had found who she was looking for, but as for why, I don't know. Frankly, the sweetness and innocence of the smile, combined with the blood on her face, disturbed me. Not quite as badly as Neo's could, but it still reminded me of the little psycho.

"Good." She said simply, yet it held a small degree of emotion in it, perhaps…hope?

Anticipation?

No sooner had she said this before the world changed around me. I felt a sense of vertigo, a powerful tingling sensation on my skin, and a tickling feeling my mind. The buzzing grew louder, before being drowned out by the sound of rushing winds and water, like some kind of hole sucking me through to somewhere. The world around me became enveloped in a black and white.

Suddenly I was somewhere…else.

I was surrounded by this inky blackness of infinite depth, like the night sky. It was deep, dark, and had a cold and unforgiving hunger that made the oldest Grimm look like a petulant child. Just looking at it sent a shiver down my spine, as if it called out to me, telling me that I would see it again when I died.

But in all this empty and eternal darkness, only one thing stood opposed to it, and it was right behind me.

I turned to see a massive wall of blinding light. It was only after a moment that I realized that it wasn't a wall, it was an _orb_. It was a massive…star. That was the only way to describe it. Before me stood something that rivaled the sun itself. Hundreds of millions of ribbons of light spun off from the corona

Eventually, I saw something that stood out.

It was in the same basic shape as the girl I saw, but it had no depth, no definition, just like the world around me. Her basic silhouette was that of the void, it filled her, giving her the appearance of a walking, 3 dimensional, shadow. However, she was highlighted by the light, allowing her to stand out against the background of the void. She raised her head, revealing that both her mouth and eyes were filled with the light.

She took several steps toward me, with what I can only assume to be a look of curiosity on her blank face. I instinctively wanted to take several steps back, but I couldn't really feel any malicious intent coming from her. So, I stood my ground as she slowly walked closer. Once she was few feet from me she spoke up.

"…hello." She said in a quiet yet inhuman voice that was a mix of several voices in one, all with the sound of crackling lightning in the background. It was unsettling, unnatural, and sent my nerves on edge.

"…H-hello." I said nervously, quite creeped out by…whatever the hell this was. I had dealt with my share of illusions and weird semblances, but this? This something else.

Despite that, I tried not to show my unease.

Even if I did feel way the hell in over my head.

"What… _is_ …this place?" I asked, not really sure where to begin, as I gestured at the world around me.

She looked around, at the emptiness, at the star, then turned back to me.

"This…is Purgatory. And it's my home." She explained, calmly and quietly. "I pulled your mind here so we could…talk."

"Talk, talk about what? And what do you mean you pulled my mind here?" I asked, once again getting my spirit back.

"When I harvested the minds of your men, I learned things. I learned why they were here, who you were…and I learned you could be useful." She explain, seemingly ignoring my questions.

But something stuck out to me.

"Wait, harvested their minds?" I asked, unnerved by the implications of that.

Instead of answering my question, she once again ignored me and asked me something else.

"Roman Torchwick…" She began

"The things you've done in the criminal world…interest me. It's been…difficult…to get things that I want. Things that I need. People have…kept…so much from me…and I feel like it isn't going to stop as time passes." She continued, looking off toward the void of darkness.

"So, I would like to make an…arrangement with you. After all, being a good little girl hasn't ever gotten me anything." She finished.

The entire time she spoke, it was slowly and carefully, as if she wasn't entirely sure what words to use, how to properly explain these things to me.

"I…see…" I began, not really sure where to go from here.

This prepubescent, creepy little girl was unnerving, but I didn't know how useful she could be. After all, she looked like she was just 12, likely didn't really have it in her to do anything too serious, and was just having some problems at home.

I doubted that she had any real idea what she was doing, and that her semblance was just an enhanced form of illusions or something. While it did feel…different…than most illusions I had dealt with, that didn't mean it was anything too special.

That being said…

She had still gotten the drop on me, which was a rather impressive feat for anyone, let alone a 12-year-old girl. Then there was the blood on her. I didn't have any evidence of it, but somewhere deep inside me my instincts were telling me that it was from my men. My gut was telling there was more to this girl than met the eye…and that was even _if_ she was just a girl.

My gut said no to that particular question.

The fact was, regardless of all these thoughts, I knew too little, and what I did know intrigued me. So, I attempted to learn more.

"So…why should I let you work for me? After all, you're just a kid, I doubt you could even hurt a fly, let alone a man." I said, trying to push her to explain herself.

"What could you offer me?" I continued, giving her the opportunity to pitch herself to me.

After all, she had done enough to warrant me giving her a chance.

She tilted her head, as if curious as to my reasoning, as if wondering what I wanted. Her light-filled eyes gazed into mine, boring through to my soul and reading me from the inside out. It was unsettling, really, to look into them, they were like two little suns, blindingly bright, but filled with dangerous power.

After a moment she stopped, and answered my question. But not the one I was expecting.

"…Earlier…you asked what I meant by harvesting their minds?" She asked, making sure she was right.

I nodded in assent, confirming her suspicions.

"…when I harvested their minds, I ripped their minds from their bodies, consuming all they knew, all they were, and all they experienced." She explained calmly, as if explaining that the ocean is made of water.

She paused.

"Some of it I didn't really understand, other parts of it were weird, but I learned things from them. It's what kept me from harvesting your mind." She continued, her tone twisting in mild confusion before returning to its calm sound.

 _Well…that sounds creepy…I wonder what that did to-wait…_ I began to think before I frowned at a realization.

"Are you…are you saying that you… _took_ …information from their minds?" I asked hesitantly, not daring to hope it was true.

She nodded, confirming my suspicions, before explaining.

"I could have been more gentle if I wanted to…but…they hurt me…so I hurt them back." She answered.

"What do you mean?" I asked cautiously. I had my suspicions, but I didn't like where this was going.

"I ripped their minds from their bodies and consumed them. When I harvested them…they died…their bodies just hadn't…caught up…to them yet. But...I fixed that." She said simply, but slowly, like she had killed a couple bugs in an experiment and was trying to find the best way to explain how to an idiot like me.

This news was…well it was a lot to process.

She seemed to be saying that her semblance gave her what I can only assume to be psychic powers of some sort.

She said she could rip someone's mind from their body, leaving them a brain-dead husk, and taking everything they knew. Well, that's what it _sounded_ like she was saying anyway.

This…this was incredible. Information was power, and her ability to rip information from someone's mind could be invaluable. It could make information gathering incredibly easy, torture irrelevant. This could change everything.

It also seemed like this killed the target, but it sounded like this wasn't a necessary aspect of it.

She said she could have been gentler…maybe that meant she could be more subtle. Maybe she could take information from a target without them knowing.

 _I wonder what her semblance has to do with this freaky fucking world she brought me too?_ I wondered.

She said she took my mind and brought it here, but what did that…mean…

… _oh…shit…._

"Uh, hey, kid…are you…reading my mind right now?" I asked worriedly. If she was…that…could be bad.

She just tilted her head to the side again and innocently asked. "Can I meet Cinder? She sounds…interesting."

_Well….shit._

_Cinder's going to either kill me for letting this info leak…or reward me for bringing this little gem to her._ I thought to myself, considering how to approach this.

Now, up until this point, I was still a little skeptical of her….psychic abilities or whatever the hell she felt like calling them. This world could just be some kind fancy illusion, but that could be the extent to her abilities.

Cool, but not as useful as mind-reading.

While she did talk about learning things from the minds of the henchmen, the fact was, most of what she "learned" she could have figured out if she was smart enough. After all, I'm kind of a world famous master thief, it's not too hard to put the pieces together when I'm raiding a Dust shop for Dust with a bunch of henchmen.

Cinder however…Cinder wasn't common knowledge. This girl _should not_ know about Cinder. None of the henchmen knew about her, which meant the only way she knew about Cinder is if she took it from _MY_ mind.

_Fuck_

Now that I thought about it, she could probably do whatever she wants to my mind right now. Whatever she did to my mind, I'm in her ring right now. She could have left me a brain-dead husk like the rest of my men. She hasn't, but she could still do that if I don't play ball.

_Shit, either the kid will kill me or Cinder will if I mess up. But…if I play my cards right, I'll be able to win big._

… _what to do, what to do._

"Alright, kid, you've interested me enough for me to at least _introduce_ you to Cinder. She'll probably find you interesting, especially with that freaky semblance of yours. What's your-" I began to say, asking for the kid's name, before the girl's head snapped around, as if something else suddenly grabbed her attention.

"What is it?" I asked cautiously, noting her reaction to this…unknown element.

"…Someone's coming…" she answered quietly in a concerned tone.

"Is it Cinder? She's probably just checking up-" I began to say before she interrupted me again.

"No." She said quietly, yet firmly, brokering no room for argument.

"Okay…then who?" I asked worriedly. I didn't doubt she would know who it was, not with her abilities.

"It's…a woman…named…Glynda Goodwitch." She said slowly, as if she was still figuring it out as she gazed at this invisible figure in the distance.

She then turned back to me and asked, "Do you know who she is?"

 _Well…double fuck. This has been quite the eventful night_. I thought.

Glynda Goodwitch was a huntress, a strong one at that. She could definitely make things…difficult if she got here.

What to do, what to do.

"She's trouble." I groaned.

"Oh." The girl said simply, as if that made a decision for her.

Suddenly the odd world…Purgatory, I believe she called it, dissolved as I felt that tingling feeling flow throughout me once again. I closed my eyes as everything went black and I held that feeling of vertigo once more. Then, when I opened my eyes, everything was back to normal. I was back in the real world, and the girl was standing in front of me, though she was once again facing the direction of the invisible target, far off in the distance.

Now, however, I knew the invisible target to be none other than Glynda, aka, a pain in my ass. But that didn't explain what the hell this kid was doing _now_.

"Uh…hey, Red, what are you doing?" I asked, concerned. She had a look of concentration on her face. I can only assume she was doing something with her weird semblance again, but what, I didn't know.

"I'm keeping the huntress…occupied." She said slowly

"Occupied?" I asked, not completely understanding what she was doing.

"It's…not easy to do it…she doesn't know what's happening, she doesn't realize anything special is happening to her. Doing that without her realizing is…harder…than what I did to you." She tried to explain.

I'm pretty sure got the gist of what she was saying. Keeping the huntress…distracted…or whatever, was harder than what she did to me because she was being subtle. What she did to me was probably harder than what she did to my henchmen because she was being gentle with me. So, even as weird and powerful as it was, it had limits based on how complicated the task she was doing was.

_Interesting._

Though, the fact that she could keep a powerful huntress such as Goodwitch "occupied" without her knowledge is actually quite impressive.

"Should I kill her?" She asked innocently, as if she wasn't a 12-year-old girl asking a wanted criminal mastermind if she could kill a powerful and well-trained huntress with her mind.

Man, this kid was weird.

I was about to say yes, that it would eliminate the problem, and then we would have all the time in the world to do what we needed.

But…

…Then I had an idea.

Not a plan, just an idea. An idea that required that the huntress live, even if she would be a pain in the ass. But before I put this plan into action, I would need to clean up a mess.

"…No…we can use her, especially if you're sure she has no idea any of this is happening." I said.

"She just knows that there's a Dust robbery in process, and was in the area. That's it." The girl explained.

"Good, then we can definitely use her. Quick question, though, is the shopkeeper alive?" I asked, wondering if he would be a witness to this.

"Yes, but none of the camera systems are operational. He also didn't see me kill your men, I put him to sleep after I killed the first two of your men." She explained, apparently reading the underlying intentions for why I asked the question.

"Okay, that's actually better than I expected." I said, surprised about how thorough she was.

Still…no witnesses…

"I'm going to go kill the shopkeeper, you don't have problem with that, do you?" I asked, not really caring if she did or not, but more interested in the morals of this girl. So far, it didn't seem like she had too many scruples, but I could be reading her wrong.

"I was actually planning on…cleaning…the scene myself." She commented, turning back to me.

"Don't you have to distract the huntress?' I inquired.

"This shouldn't be too hard." She remarked.

"Alright, whatever, Red." I shrugged.

And with that, we walked into the Dust store. The bell rung as I pushed the door open, and there was a tiny splash as my shoe landed in a puddle.

I looked down, and saw one of my henchmen face down on the ground, a puddle of blood pooling from his neck.

I blinked.

"Red…this your doing?" I asked.

"I told you." She began, stepping past me without a second glance at the body.

"They were already dead, I just…severed the last cord." She answered emotionlessly.

Curious, I flipped the man's body over with my foot. To my surprise, there were streaks of blood pouring from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. His eyes were bloodshot and wide in horror, and there was a deep and bloody laceration at his neck. Hell, it was so deep I could see his spinal cord peeking out. Any deeper and he'd be headless.

A feat that prompted a whistle from me.

"Wow Red, you got a mean arm." I complimented, picking up the suitcase of dust he had in his cold dead hand.

"It was efficient." She answered distractedly from the other end of the other end of the store.

"Yeah, but you almost cut his damn head off," I muttered, walking through the rest of the store.

Most of the lights were out in the store. The few that weren't were flickering, painting the store in an ominous dark and shuttering twilight. I stopped when my foot knocked into something in the darkness.

Pausing, I knelt to get a better view of what it was I hit.

"Nevermind," I commented, looking at the decapitated head, blood pouring from the orifices of the man's horrified face, forever frozen in pain.

"You're one sick cookie, Red." I raised my voice, standing up.

I didn't actually mind it too much. I worked with Neo, after all. After all these years, I had sort of grown numb to the more…macabre…ways to kill. Personally I was a fan of the classics.

Bullet to the head.

Knife to the gut.

Simple shit.

Decapitation, though…I could deal with decapitation.

"So Red, what are you-" I began, looking for her.

"Done." She said, from behind.

I jumped, "Fuck!"

"Red, stop it!" I yelled at her.

"Stop what?" She asked innocently with a tilt of her head.

The worst part was, I got the impression she was serious.

"Just…being creepy as shit!" I gesticulated, reaching for the words.

She just continued to stare at me with a perplexed expression. It'd be cute if it wasn't for the blood on her face.

Ok, maybe it was still a little cute despite the blood on her face and the setting.

"Nevermind." I groaned

"You said you were done?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Cool." I flatly responded. "I'm going to clear out the register. Maybe put a bullet in the shopkeep's head. That sort of stuff." I said, turning around.

The part about the shop keep was more of a test than anything. I wanted to see if she would give two shits about an innocent bystander. Also, I wanted to get rid of all witnesses. Can't take the chance of letting this little gem getting caught.

Not with the things she could do.

"I already killed him." She commented.

 _Ok, nevermind. Problem solved_ I thought, impressed.

"Still want to clean out the register," I said, moving past her towards the front of the store.

A few minutes later, I was 547 Lien richer and we were standing outside the store looking back at it.

"So, you sure there's nothing else you want from there?" I asked, covering my bases.

"Yes." She responded simply

"Well, in that case, follow me," I said, making my way to the alley, swinging my cane theatrically to gesture her to me.

She followed quietly, not saying a word or making a word as she did. Every now and then I had to look behind me just to make sure she was actually still back there.

Finally, we arrived at the Bullhead hidden by buildings, right where we left it.

I walked up to the door on the side, knocked three times, and waited. I didn't have to wait long before it opened.

It opened up to reveal a beautiful young woman with long, wavy black hair, and smoldering amber eyes. She was in a form-fitting red dress with a distinct flame motif and a nice view of her shapely legs. I, however, was a professional, and more importantly, she scared the shit out of me.

She looked at me, the briefcases of Dust I was holding, looked over my shoulder, noticed the lack of henchmen, and then looked back at me with a raised brow.

"What happened to your men?" She asked in a sultry, yet somehow threatening, voice.

" _Right_ … _well_ …you see…there was a complication." I began slowly, nervous about how to explain this to Cinder without getting burned. Or slapped.

"A complication?" She asked, her voice gaining a lethal edge.

" _Yeah_ …" I began, then sighed. I realized I might as well get it out now, Cinder didn't really like excuses.

I moved my body out of the way, and gestured to the little girl standing behind me, silently standing there patiently. She stood there, her head tilting in curiosity as she looked at Cinder.

"Meet the complication," I said, introducing the kid with another theatrical wave of my cane.

Cinder, not amused, just looked at the kid, wondering what the hell that was supposed to mean.

After a second of glaring, she looked back at me and icily said, " _What?_ "

"This kid killed all my henchmen, by herself, and without my notice, and then snuck up on me. Instead of killing me, she asked if she could…work for us." I explained

The kid looked to me and raised an eyebrow, noting the way I changed what she said.

Cinder gave me a flat, yet caustic, look. " _Really?_ " she said skeptically.

I put my hand over my chest, in a mock effort to pledge, "Honest. Went back to see her handiwork myself. Each one had a nice new bloody necktie." I explained.

She then turned to give the girl another look, appraising her.

"So you're saying we have a little assassin here?" She asked

"Better." I corrected with a knowing smirk

Cinder raised her brow in skeptical surprise, "Better?"

"You see, before she killed them, she apparently ripped their minds from their bodies, learning what they knew. After she "harvested" their minds, they were rendered little more than brain dead invalids." I explained

"Really?" She drawled, still skeptical

"She also said there's a huntress, Glynda Goodwitch, on the way. Apparently, the kid's detaining her or some such shit, I don't know, but I doubt she can keep it up forever, so we should probably hurry this up." I added.

Cinder blinked at that, then grew a cruel, teasing, smirk that she directed at me.

"I'm surprised, Roman. I thought you were above getting tricked by little girls." She scolded after a second, obviously still in doubt.

I sighed, realizing that this would be much more difficult than I thought.

"She didn't "trick" me. She used her "psychic powers" on me to show me the proof. She read my mind and found out about you. I don't really see how she could have found out about you otherwise." I explained, trying to bring her around.

I guess I shouldn't really be surprised by her response. I was pretty skeptical too, even after she pulled my mind into "Purgatory", or whatever the hell that was.

Cinder took a moment to think about this, her face contorting into a frown. Finally, she looked back at the kid.

"Fine then, if you can prove that you have these "psychic powers", then we'll talk." Cinder said.

The kid looked slightly taken aback at that.

"B-but, I can't. I'm distracting the huntress." The kid tried to explain, growing worried

"You mean, you _claim_ you are." Cinder added, her face growing a cruel smirk as she felt herself gain power of the kid.

"No, I _am_. There's only so much I can do at one time." The kid defended.

"So you say." Cinder retorted dismissively

"I _can't_ do anything else with my semblance without releasing the huntress." The kid explained, getting annoyed.

"Of course you can't, you're nothing more than a lying little girl after all." Cinder haughtily accused her.

"I'm _not_ a liar." The girl said firmly and venomously, her frown deepening at being called a liar.

"Then prove it." Cinder goaded simply with a smirk.

The girl's frown deepened even further, before she seemed to resign herself to the consequences.

"Fine." She said simply and coldly.

She wasn't happy about this, but she would do it.

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. When she let it out, she opened her eyes to reveal two solid silver eyes. She looked us both in the eye with those pupil-less orbs, and suddenly I felt that same vertigo as the world was once again enveloped in darkness. Before I knew, I was back in Purgatory, but I wasn't alone.

I heard a gasp from beside me, and turned to find that Cinder was here with me this time. She was doing what I was the first time I was here, looking around in wonder and fear. I can't say I was comfortable here, 'cause it still freaked me the hell out, but at least it wasn't as bad as my first time here.

"Roman, what's going on?" Cinder asked, angry at being surprised like this.

"Well…you _did_ ask for a demonstration." I shot back, feeling a bit confident after being proven right.

This only served to irritate her further.

"Are you satisfied?" The girl said, appearing the out of nowhere, still in her shadowy form. She did _not_ sound happy.

Instead, Cinder decided to redirect her irritation at the kid.

"How do I know that this isn't just some illusion? This doesn't prove anything." Cinder accused.

"Dammit, Cinder." I bit out under my breath. I had a feeling she'd be regretting that.

"So this isn't enough for you?" The kid questioned, possibly equally annoyed as Cinder.

The difference was…we were in the kid's world, not Cinder's.

But one look at Cinder told me that she hadn't figured that out yet. She was still convinced that this was all just some cheap trick.

"Am I supposed to be _impressed_ by this parlor trick? So far I'm not seeing anything that should convince me to let you live." Cinder replied, her confidence growing again.

 _What the hell is she doing?_ I thought. _I don't think I've ever seen her act like this._

The kid, upon hearing Cinder's response, looked annoyed. Her eyes narrowed into silver white slits, her mouth setting into a firm line of crackling light.

" _What_?" The kid questioned, annoyed by Cinder's comment.

Cinder, on the other hand, looked incredibly pleased, having gotten the upper hand in the conversation. She gave her another cruel smirk as threw another shot at the girl.

"You heard me. You see, you know about me. I don't know how, maybe Roman made a mistake and slipped up, all I know is, I can't afford to let you live. You're just some little girl with a fancy little semblance and some talent in acting. You're nothing, and now you know too much." Cinder explained, her smug expression staring the girl down.

The kid looked down at the ground and clenched her fists, looking like she had been pushed to the brink.

Somewhere in my heart, I should probably be shocked that Cinder was about to kill a kid and the cruel way she was treating the girl. But I didn't get where I was today by being a bleeding heart.

However, Cinder was acting…weird.

While she could be intimidating, and murderous, she wasn't usually this dismissive and aggressive. Usually, she used an odd combination of sweet and threatening, but here she was just being threatening. She seemed to be making this…personal, despite what she was saying, since she appeared to be thoroughly enjoying this whole thing.

But, I knew better than to try and get in her way once she put her mind to something. Knowing her, she'd probably burn me alive if I said something right now, especially with that look on her face.

"So, just do me a favor, and die." Cinder said finally with a predatory smile that was bordering on deranged.

She thrust her arm forward and the fiery patterns on her dress lit up. A Sigil lit up beneath the girl, and a fraction of a second later, it erupted into a massive column of flame. It exploded beneath her, and consumed her within a tower of smoke and flames.

"Well, that's that." Cinder said looking incredibly pleased.

"Did you really need to do that?" I questioned, "Even if you did need to kill the kid, that was kind of overkill."

"Oh, I didn't need to kill her." Cinder began to explain.

"What?" I questioned.

"No, I _wanted_ to kill that stupid little shit. She thought she could impress me with this illusion, and I killed her for it." Cinder explained, smirking.

I frowned at her.

 _Something is seriously off here_.

Then I realized something.

"Uh…Cinder, if this is just some cheap parlor trick….why isn't it going away?" I asked, noting how we were still in Purgatory.

At this Cinder took the opportunity to look away from her towering blaze, and look around at the spiraling void. Her smirk drained off her face as realized that this wasn't nearly as simple as she thought it was.

"I-I don't know."she said, uncertain and slightly shaken.

Then, the void that surrounded us churned. Something _inside it_ moved, it writhed and rolled. The "floor" beneath suddenly wasn't so solid anymore. My feet began to sink into the inky darkness beneath me, the void swallowing it up. I couldn't even tell if I was sinking, or it was rising.

"Cinder…" I said, fear crawling up into my voice as I looked to her, only to see her in a similar predicament.

"Get us out of this!" I yelled

"I'm trying!" She growled, thrusting her hand forward as her dress lit up again.

She sent a burst of fire at the darkness beneath us, and it just…it went through it. Like there was nothing there.

It was as if we were being consumed by…nothingness. Like the walls of reality itself was enveloping us.

As it inched across my body, I could feel a deathly cold creeping in. Bursts of light and fire stole my attention as Cinder burst into a frenzy to try and blast it off her. But despite her struggling, the void continued to consume us, and there was nothing we could do about it.

I felt that fear, that _dread_ , well up from inside and pervade my being as the void crawled up my chest, took hold of my arms, my legs, my everything, before finally taking my head.

For a moment, I couldn't breathe. It was like I was immersed in ice cold water that froze me to the bone. I couldn't see anything, hear anything, or even _feel_ anything, other than the cold empty dark surrounding me.

Then, it was gone.

Like I had been spat out by the void, I fell and hit the ground. I still felt drenched, and frozen to the bone, but I felt other things. The scent of ozone and charred wood flooded my nose, with wisps of various forest scents. I could hear distant and vague voices in the background. Opening my eyes, I got up and looked around.

I was still in Red's creepy shadow realm, that was for sure. But now, it looked like I was in some kind of….shadow forest.

It looked like a forest, with all the tall tree-like poles standing up around me. There also looked like there was leaves, grass, and all that forest crap on the ground. It's just that everything was in a dark monotone. Not quite the empty black of the void, however, just dark.

The sky, however, was something else.

It was as if the place I had just come from was the sky now. I could see the deep dark empty nothingness as the void of space, while the giant bright ball of blinding light sat high in the sky. It was distant, far more distant than it was before, but it was still _massive_. It easily took up a chunk of the whole sky.

But despite its shining presence, the world around me was still covered in dark shadows.

 _Weird_ I thought with narrowed eyes, suspicious of my surroundings.

Then I saw her.

Cinder

She looked like she was just getting up from her less than pleasant landing herself.

"Cinder!" I shouted, walking over to her.

She turned to me, and could see, for the first time since I met her, a measure of fear in her.

"Roman." She said, trying to put up a tough front. It almost worked.

"Where are we?" She questioned

"How should I know?" I remarked

"You brought her to me." She growled, looking very uncomfortable in her drench outfit.

"I didn't know she could do this! I don't even know what the hell this is!" I exclaimed.

"This is your fault, you fix it!" I argued, angrily pointing my finger at her.

"Remember who you're talking to." She all but snarled at me raising a flame coated hand.

"I'm talking to the crazy bitch who tried to roast a kid, only to panic when the kid turned out to be some kind of supernatural abomination in a little girl's body." I shot back.

"Maybe I should remind you who exactly holds all the power here." Cinder growled, her burning hands clenching into fists as her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I do." A third voice said, breaking us from our little spat.

We spun to the source of the voice, and found none other than the girl that was the source of all this.

"You!" Cinder roared, the flames leaping in response to her rage.

"Me." The girl frowned in her ethereal form.

"Take us back!" Cinder demanded.

Instead, the little shade decided to circle around us, like a predator stalking its prey.

"You know…" She began, slipping past the topic. "I tried."

"I came to you, offered my services, talked with civility, and even respected your wishes." She continued.

"I don't have time for this drivel." Cinder snarled, dismissing her flames, and drawing a bow from shards of glass that appeared from her dress.

 _That's a new trick_ I thought, my eyes widening slightly

"Cinder that _might_ not be the best idea," I said carefully instead.

Cinder ignored me, and instead shot a black arrow at the girl.

The arrow flew straight and true to the girl, heading right at her head. That is, until Red glanced at it.

The instant her eyes landed on the arrow, it dissolved into a cloud of dust.

Then her eyes turned to Cinder's bow, and just like the arrow, it disappeared in a cloud of dust.

"This is my home. You are here because I allowed it. You exist in this realm because I permit it." The girl glared, her voice growing darker, losing the tone of the child, and the tone of the women growing stronger.

As she spoke, her form changed. It grew larger, taller, and more mature. It went from being the outline of a child, to that of a woman.

"I invite you to my home, and instead of receiving the courtesy and respect I gave you, you give me hatred, distrust, scheming, and an outright attempt on my life." The…woman? Girl? Thing? Growled at us.

"But what else should have I expected from humans?"

"You think these tricks will impress me?" Cinder shot back, wreathing her hands in flames.

"Silence!" The…thing...before us roared in a twisted and distorted mess of voices, throwing her hand at Cinder.

When it did, a rush of wind surged forward, blowing out Cinder's flames. Then, her clothes were torn from her body, much like the bow and arrow, turning into a cloud of black dust that was instantly blown away by the wind.

And Cinder was left, cold, damp, and naked in the forest of shadows the surrounded us.

"Once again your own ego and hubris hinders you. It could have been so simple, and yet you make it so _difficult_." It continued.

Cinder looked absolutely furious, her hand clenched by her side, the other doing its best to preserve some semblance of her modesty.

"I'm going to kill you." She said through clenched teeth, her voice trembling with rage.

Cinder raised an arm up, her left eye glowing gold with some kind of power.

"I'm going to make you scream for me." She said as her arm lit up.

"You said you wanted to see a magic trick?" The monster said, ignoring cinder as it raised an arm of its own, this one holding a long, simple farming scythe made of the same void as her body, summoned from the shadows around her.

I heard the screaming sound that sounded every time Cinder summoned one of her exploding sigils, and right then and there, I knew it was all going to go to shit again.

But I didn't know how right I was.

Just as the sigil appeared in Cinder's hand, the last moment before it was summoned on whatever she wanted it on, chains black as night flew out from the darkest corners of the forest, and bound around her arm. When they did, the Sigil stopped, and the screaming sound became stuck, unending, as if their process had been interrupted, or paused.

Before Cinder could even react, more followed, wrapping around her arms and legs, before being pulled back to whence they came. Cinder flew back into the forest, before coming to a stop when her back slammed into one of the many trees in the Shadow Forest.

The black chains continued to wrap around her, binding her to the tree. Cinder struggled, kicking and screaming as angry tears ran down her cheeks, while I stood there watching.

I was speechless.

I didn't know what to do.

I was god knows where, probably this thing's own personal shadow realm. Cinder had managed to piss off what was a very nice and mild mannered, if creepy, girl into becoming this…thing. And Cinder herself was practically frothing at the mouth to kill her. I had never seen her like this. Sure, she would frown or get a tiny flare of anger whenever Ozpin was mentioned, when there some kind of delay in her plans, or when something unexpected happened, but this?

This was totally unlike her. Never before had I seen her display such undisguised hate. That's not to say I had known her long or known her well. But this was just unprecedented.

And what was happening now?

I didn't even know how to begin to process it. To a certain extent, I felt like I was just along for the ride.

A captive and unwilling audience.

Frankly, I felt like I was losing my mind. Like this was all a sick nightmare, and any second I was going to wake up.

I barely even noticed how I had shifted positions in the forest. How we were now in a large, circular clearing, with Cinder tied to the tree in the middle of it all.

I did, however, notice that this tree wasn't so much a tree, so much as it was a poll. A poll that had a pile of what looked like sticks underneath it.

Then I felt the presence of that…thing…again. She walked up from behind me, her shadowy cloaked form feeling like it towered over mine.

"YOU BITCH!" Cinder roared, her voice growing hoarse. "WHAT IS THIS?!"

"This?" The woman beside me said, raising her free hand, the other carrying her scythe, none of the anger from before in her echoing voice.

As she spoke, I realized I could finally hear what the voices around me were saying. And what they said chilled me to the bone.

" _Burn the witch!"_

" _Purge the heathen!"_

" _Kill it!"_

" _Burn it!"_

" _Kill Satan's child!"_

" _Purify it with the Lord's fire!"_

All around me, I could see the shadows of what looked like a crowd surrounding us. All these voices seemed to be screaming at once, both there, and hollow, but still containing hatred and malice, as if they were real.

" _Demon!"_

It was then, of course, that I realized I could smell oil.

" _Witch!"_

Then, a small fire was lit in the mess of sticks beneath her, lighting the whole clearing up.

" _Burn!"_

 _I have a bad feeling about this_ I gulped as I looked up at her.

"This is a demonstration." She finished as she snapped her fingers with a loud _snap_.

And with that, Cinder's Sigil seemed to resume.

Much to everyone's horror.

Instead of being cast on the thing beside me, or anywhere else, Cinder's Sigil was cast on herself. In a flash, he body became covered in hundreds of Sigils, each burning themselves onto her pale skin.

Cinder stopped, fear entering her wide open eyes for the first time.

"Wait, no-" she began to beg

But she didn't get the chance

_ **BOOM!** _

Suddenly, all at once, every single Sigil on her detonated in a massive fireball. A massive, blazing tower of fire burned in the forest of shadows, casting everything in a murderous light. The cacophony of hundreds screams from all the Sigil's going off at once rung in the air for what felt like hours.

Then I realized that the screams of the Sigil's had ended long ago, and these screams belonged to Cinder herself.

I could see her in there. I could see her blackened silhouette in the fire. I could see her writhing in screaming in the flames. Soon, I could see her flesh melting through the flames, the way it began to drip from her muscle and bone. The scent of burning flesh and charred wood flooded my nose. The sounds of Cinder screaming out in agony, crying out for mercy, filled my ears. The sight of Cinder's face twisted in agony as she was being burned alive by her own power captivated my eyes.

In one way, it was horrible, twisted, disturbing, and terrifying.

And yet…

In another, it was beautiful. It was sick and depraved, but there was a certain undeniable beauty in the woman on fire.

Then, I felt that familiar tingling sensation throughout my body. I could hear the sound of rushing winds as the world swirled around me. I felt a wave of vertigo, and I closed my eyes.

And when I opened them again, I was back.

I was in the real world again.

I stumbled, regaining my balance and looked around to regain my bearings. I turned to my side and saw her.

Cinder was alive, conscious, and intact. But she was crouched down on all fours, panting wildly, sweat pouring from her face, an expression of terror and pain on her face as she tried to regain her composure. This was halted when a blood stained, curved blade hooked under her jaw, forcing her to look up.

Holding a bloodstained scythe with a joint where the blade met the shaft, was the girl. She was forcing Cinder to look at her with it, and the way she was holding it made it clear she had no issue with ending Cinder's life at any moment.

I took another glance at Cinder and noticed that her muscles were still having spasms periodically in pain. She was in no condition to resist.

"Was that good enough for you?" The girl questioned icily.

Cinder just looked at her before asking the question on all our minds at that moment.

"Who-what are you?"

The girl paused, tilting her head in thought as she pondered the answer to that question.

"I…used to be human." She started before another pause.

"But…then I disappeared. I'm not really sure what I became when I came back." She answered calmly

"What's your name?" I asked, trying to defuse the situation.

"Ruby Rose." The girl answered without taking her eyes off her captive.

Cinder laughed, a humorless laugh.

"Well then, Ruby, that was good enough. _More_ than good enough. I can _definitely_ use someone like you." She answered with a twisted smile that was tinged with dangerous amounts of madness.

"Good," Ruby responded

And with that, she swiftly removed her scythe from Cinder's chin. With a flick of her wrist the blade of scythe folded up, becoming parallel with the shaft, which had collapsed in in itself. In its more compact form, Ruby then sheathed it back behind her.

"How old are you?" Cinder asked as she got up.

"15." The girl answered.

"Really?" We both asked incredulously at the idea that this kid was actually 15.

"Legally." She responded, probably understanding our disbelief.

"Well, in that case I have a plan. You said Goodwitch was on her way here, right?" She asked

Ruby nodded her head in affirmation.

"Good, then we can talk more about this, make official arrangements and such later. For now, let's focus on getting you into Beacon." Cinder said, regaining her composure as she relayed her plan to us.

Somehow I _knew_ I was going to hate it.

* * *

**Present**

And surprise

I was right.

I hated it.

 _Still,_ I thought, walking over to Jack's corpse.

_At least she delivered._

"So." I began, bending down over his body.

"Is he dead?" I asked as I picked up his rifle. Mawr, I believed he called it.

 _It's a nice assault rifle_ I thought, looking it over in my hands.

 _Incendiary rounds are a nice touch, too_ I thought, taking the clip out, inspecting the rounds, before putting the mag back in and cycling the bolt with a nice, meaty, _click_.

"He should be dead, but I'm not sure the effect aura would have on ner-"

_Bang!_

Smoke wafted from the barrel of Mawr and the fresh, bloody, hole in Jack's head. Already I could see the tiny fire burning inside his skull growing.

"I think he's dead," I remarked, lowering Mawr from its position, pointed straight at his head.

"Quite," Ruby commented with a quirked brow.

"Was that a poison bullet?" I asked, wondering how she killed him.

"Essentially." She responded distractedly as she observed Jack's skull slowly burn from the inside out.

"I've never seen a poison round act that fast before," I commented as I let Mawr hang loosely in my right hand by my side.

"Nerve Gas is effective like that." She answered slowly

"Nerve Gas?" I questioned.

"Think of it as a paralytic poison that freezes up your very lungs." She answered.

"Why couldn't you just go with normal things, like fire or ice?" I asked rhetorically with a sigh.

"This was actually a test to see if a poisonous agent would be able to bypass someone's aura." She said, "And I'm happy to see it was a success."

"Cool," I said slowly with a raised brow, somewhat unsettled by the detached scientific way this girl thought about how to kill somebody, not to mention the unconventional way she was going about it.

And that was probably the strangest part about this whole thing. I'm no stranger to death, it comes with the territory. I've seen all sorts of reactions to killing, from detached compartmentalization and rationalization, to psychotic and sadistic thrill and joy. But this hollow scientific interest mixed with the jarring apathy in this man's life was…new to me.

 _Still, it's easier to deal with than Neo's sadistic fascination with killing._ I thought as she holstered her gun and straddled his cooling corpse.

 _Plus, this "nerve gas" sounds useful, if it can kill a man through their aura as well as it did Jack._ I added silently.

She placed a hand against the breastplate of his armor. A _Beeb_ sounded, and at once, all the latches locking his armor in place on his body detached with a _Click_. She dug her hands into the left side of the breastplate, and flipped it over his chest, where it landed on the floor with a dull and heavy _Thud_. Underneath the chest plate was the skintight grey undersuit of hexagonal "scales".

She moved her hands to his belt, and…

"Huh, didn't take you for being into necrophilia," I commented.

She stopped, before slowly turning to me with a quizzical expression and tilted head that silently asked, "What _are_ you talking about?"

"Well, what am I supposed to think with you molesting his corpse?" I added.

"I'm not 'molesting' him, I'm checking him for anything useful." She explained with mild exasperation.

"So you're looting him?" I suggested.

"…yes." She agreed after a moment of consideration

"But, then, you knew that, didn't you?" She asked pointedly.

"Maybe." I shrugged, not that she could see it.

"So it seems I have quite the little thief on my hands," I said, making small talk while she rifled through his many, _many_ , pockets.

"It's not stealing if they're dead." She answered, picking up his double-barreled sawed-off drum fed shotgun and looking it over.

"Then what is it?" I asked rhetorically.

"The spoils of war." She responded distractedly as she picked up and looked over his axe.

"…I like the way you think." I commented with a nod.

After a second, she pulled all his equipment, secondary weapons, and spare ammunition, and put it in a pile next to his body.

"Are you done?" I asked

"Almost."

"Almost?"

"Yes."

And with that, her hands felt for the zipper that blended into the suit itself. Finally finding it, she grabbed hold, and unzipped his suit, leaving his pale, well-toned, and still chest open to the world.

I was about to say, "Are you sure you aren't into necrophilia?", when she drew a rather large knife from her cloak.

Before I could do much more than blink in surprise, she took the knife to his skin, and ran it down his chest, splitting it open from collarbone to navel. Crimson blood oozed from the wound, the lack of a beating heart keeping it from gushing out. She plunged her open right hand into the wound she opened in his abdomen. She almost her entire arm inside his chest, the squishing wet sounds of her moving around inside his corpse leaving even me a feeling a bit ill, and I hardly considered myself squeamish.

Then, she made a hum of approval, before yanking her arm out of his body, pulling with it a fist-sized chunk of bloody meat.

"Is that his _heart_?" I questioned

"...Yes." She said after a moment of looking it over.

Then, without another word, she pulled out a red, insulated, bag, and put it inside, before stuffing the bag into the void of her cloak.

 _Why can't I work with normal people?_ I thought rhetorically, still getting over the fact that the little girl that just killed a man and broke me out of jail, just ripped out a fresh dead man's fucking _heart_.

Even Neo didn't do that.

Once they were dead, they were usually useless to her.

…usually.

"Any reason why?" I asked, still a little grossed out by this.

"Oh, Roman." She began, turning to look at me with a smirk, "Everyone knows the heart is the most delicious part."

"…yes…delicious…how could I forget…" I said, disturbed by the claim she made.

The way a glimmer of mirth danced in her eyes at my response told me it was a joke. But the downright sinister way her lips curled told me it wasn't as much of a joke as I would have liked.

"Why don't you put those things in the bag?" She suggested, returning to her bland expression as she gestured to the pile of stuff she had looted from his corpse.

"Bag?"

At my confusion, she gestured to a pair of empty duffel bags sitting against the wall.

"You planning on going shopping?" I commented as I walked over to the bag and put the weapons inside.

"Believe it or not, we didn't just come here for you." She retorted.

I was about to respond, when I noticed something

"…Wait a second, _we?_ " I questioned.

"Yes. I'm here with Neo." She answered.

"You met Neo?"

"When Cinder declined to help me retrieve you, she pointed me toward your associate." Ruby explained.

"Ah." I said, "That makes sense."

"But…where is she?" I wondered out loud, looking around for her. I knew Neo well enough to know that she was damn near impossible to find if she didn't want to be found. And it would be just like her to pop up behind me just to try and make me shit my pants.

"She's setting the charges." Ruby answered.

I blinked.

" _Charges?!"_ I exclaimed.

"Yes."

"You're blowing this place up?"

"Yes."

"How? _Why?_ "

"I have my reasons."

"I didn't even know Neo was that good with explosives." I commented, still stunned by the revelation.

"She's not."

Something that prompted the skeptical look I gave her.

"What?" she asked innocently

"You told her where to set the charges?"

"Yes, and?"

"And I have my doubts you know what you're talking about."

"I blew up the Dust store well enough, didn't I?"

"That was a Dust Store. It was literally a powder keg. You could have blown it sky high with a cherry bomb." I said flatly.

"…True…" she relented.

"Just trust that I know what I'm doing."

"I don't trust my own mother, why the hell should I trust you?" I questioned.

"Because." She said, getting up from Jack's corpse.

"I came back for you, instead of leaving you to rot." She finished, looking directly at me with those twin silver orbs.

I paused for a moment as I realized she had a point. She could have left me here. Let me stay Cinder's problem. Instead, she just busted me out herself, along with Neo.

"Alright." I conceded, "Fair enough, Red"

"Fair enough."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally delivered on an unspoken promise.
> 
> I have seen, far too often, that a character will be portrayed as a hardcore murderous character that will kill without a second thought or something, and yet despite that, they never do it. Or something else along those lines.
> 
> Like how in RWBY, Pyrrha was implied to being a badass fighter, and yet we didn't really see that, not until Cinder, and even then, she got killed, so...
> 
> kinda puts a damper on the badassery. And even that was arguable.
> 
> So yeah
> 
> I've been portraying Ruby as a stone cold sociopath with freaky powers who'd kill you without a second thought. Well here she is, using freaky powers to kill people without a second thought to accomplish her goals.
> 
> Tada
> 
> Did it please you? I hope so
> 
> Because I have been waiting for a long as fuck time to get to this.
> 
> If you couldn't tell, the bit took place after the very first scene of the story was actually supposed to be the very first scene
> 
> that part was the plan all along.
> 
> I changed it on a whim when I decided to try and play coy and hide some of my cards. Which turned into hiding damn near all my cards.
> 
> Also, speaking of plans and waiting, Jack
> 
> Now, I don't care if you shed a tear over Jack's death, whoop in joy, or scratch your head wondering which one Jack was.
> 
> Ok, maybe that's a lie
> 
> maybe
> 
> in any case, Jack was made to die
> 
> literally
> 
> that first part of the torchwick tales?
> 
> Where we saw Roman in Jail for the first time?
> 
> That's about the time when I came up with the plan for Ruby to break Roman out of jail
> 
> Which is why the Watchmen are Roman's fault, because I needed to give him guards
> 
> Guards that Ruby would kill
> 
> Competent guards
> 
> At first, it was going to be SWAT
> 
> then I realized that didn't make sense because this wasn't America
> 
> So thought up a Remnant Equivalent
> 
> which is when I realized, what good would simple SWAT be in a world where kids go to school to get superpowers and fight hordes of monsters?
> 
> So to counter them, I created the Watchmen, and it sort of exploded from there.
> 
> So yes, in summary, I made the Watchmen so Ruby had some competent guards to kill when she "retrieved" Roman.
> 
> They were built to get fucked up.
> 
> That said, they've grown into a life of their own.
> 
> As it stands, Ymir at least has shit to do outside of this, so he's fine. So's Robin, but he's kind of less important in the short term.
> 
> Though I might kill him for the hell of it.
> 
> I'm also showing you hints of Mad Scientist Ruby.
> 
> Yeah...
> 
> That's not going away anytime soon
> 
> Not sure where it came from, but I like the idea of it.
> 
> (That's a total lie, I know exactly where it came from, and it's filled with Madness)


	31. Scene 31: Black as Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But, on a more important note, a few more songs to add to the list, and several of the one's from last time still apply here.
> 
> Ok, so, here we go.
> 
> First of the Year (Equinox) By Skrillex (Can't believe I forgot this one last chap, it totally fits Ruby, especially if you've seen the Music Video)
> 
> Dark Nights By Dorothy
> 
> This Is Gonna Hurt By Sixx:A.M.
> 
> So, without further ado, enjoy

**Monday, October 31**

**00:45**

**Torchwick pov**

"So Red…" I began, a question burning in my mind.

"What was up with you and Cinder?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Ruby inquired, not even bothering to look at me as she continued to lead the way through the empty halls of the Police Station

"I mean Cinder seemed to have it out for you. It was like it was personal." I elaborated.

"I've never seen Cinder act that way towards someone before. Not that I've actually known her that long, mind you." I added.

"Oh." Red began simply.

"That."

She remained silent for a moment, making me wonder if she was actually going to answer my question. Just when I was about to open my mouth, she spoke again.

"From what I can tell, it's not truly her fault. Something inside just had a strongly negative reaction to me." She explained.

"You mean that creepy, unsettling, feeling of wrongness you give off?" I suggested.

"Well…yes and no." Ruby responded.

"Everyone feels that, to a certain extent, when they meet me."

"…Well, almost everyone." She amended after a pause.

"But…?" I supplied, knowing it was coming.

"But Cinder is a bit different." She finished for me.

"She's…" Ruby began, tilting her head in thought as she drummed her fingers against her leg, searching for the right words to explain this.

"Cinder has…. _something_ …coiled around her soul, and whatever it is, it does _not_ like me in the slightest." Ruby finally explained.

Unfortunately, it gave me more questions than answers.

"Something coiled around her soul? You saying she's, like, possessed or something?" I asked, getting a bit unsettled by the idea that my employer was being possessed.

Only a bit, though.

Hey, money's money, and Cinder pays surprisingly well.

Ruby, however, frowned as she righted herself.

"No, a possession would be a parasite on her mind, body, and/or soul. This was more like a symbiotic relationship, give and take rather than simple control." She explained.

"… _okay?_ " I said, starting to get disturbed by this line of thought, not to mention how much Ruby seemed to know about possession.

Unfortunately Ruby didn't seem to be done.

"I'm not sure what it is that's coiled around her soul. Whatever it is, it felt pretty small. Too small, almost. Maybe it wasn't full grown?" She considered, thinking out loud.

"Maybe it's just a fragment?" I suggested before I could stop myself, the idea just popping out of my mouth.

"A fragment?" Ruby considered.

"Yes…that would make sense. A fragment of a greater power attached to her soul…" Ruby mused, trailing off as she got lost in thought.

"Red?" I asked when she began to slow down, trying to bring her back to the real world.

"Hmm?" Ruby hummed, her head jerking back up to me, "Oh, right."

"In any case, whatever _it_ is, it seems almost diametrically opposed to what I am. Sure, Cinder's soul had its own personal response to me, but it's nothing compared to the one fragment had" Ruby continued.

"We talking cats and dogs here?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around this and put it in terms I could comprehend.

"…More like most people and spiders." She corrected after a moment of thought.

"Ok, that does sound pretty bad." I grimaced.

"Yes, but she has a strong will. She should be able to overcome it." Ruby commented.

 _I think that was a compliment?_ I thought with a quirked brow.

"But watching the interaction between her soul and the fragment should be quite interesting, not to mention the nature of the fragment itself." She mused out loud with a ghost of hungry smile

 _Ah, yep, there it is. There's the creepy little twist._ I thought, suppressing another grimace at her…eager…attitude.

I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard something. Now, I didn't exactly have the inhuman hearing of a Faunus, but I was a master thief, after all. And in my line of work, you pick up some things or you get caught.

One of those things was a talent for talking in a quiet, but still clear voice without exactly whispering. Another was being able to pick up the sounds of distant footsteps inside a building even while in a conversation.

So when I heard the distant clatter of shoes on hardwood and the distant mumblings of chatter, I threw myself into cover. I pushed myself up against a nearby stone pillar, pressing myself as deeply into the shadows as I could despite the duffel bag on my back and the rifle in my hands. I slowed my breathing, forcing it into calm, shallow, quiet breaths. It was at this time that I silently cursed myself for wearing white.

 _But of course, I couldn't make it easy, now could?_ I criticized myself.

Despite what people may think, I didn't just wear my white coat as a fashion statement. I mean, sure, it looked damn good on me, but it was also because I wanted a challenge. I'd been sneaking around stealing shit and getting others to steal shit for me since I could walk and talk, it was second nature to me. In fact, usually, it was so painfully easy in stealthy clothing to sneak in and take what I wanted that it became…bland.

Sedate.

Boring.

So I wanted a challenge. Plus, being a cat burglar was _so_ teenage me. A man like me deserved to delve into white crime, and look the part. I had gotten myself into more organized crime and I deserved to look the part.

 _But then shit comes around like this, and I just hate myself for not letting my practical side win._ I internally griped.

It was then, of course, that I noticed a very big, very glaring, problem.

Ruby wasn't hiding with me.

In fact, Ruby wasn't hiding at all.

Instead, she was standing in the middle of the hallway, staring at me with a confused cocked head.

My eyes went wide with panic as I looked back at her silver orbs. She was just standing out there in the open. It'd be impossible for them to miss her like this. But most importantly, she was giving my position away by staring at me.

I mean, if she got caught because she was an idiot, that was her own fault, but she sure as hell wasn't dragging me down with.

" _Red! What are you doing?!"_ I silently mouthed to her, trying to get my point across.

The only thing she did, however, was slightly raise a brow at me, before dismissively shaking her head and returning her attention forward, to the source of the sounds.

 _Well…someone's probably going to die_ I thought, expecting her to eat their brains or something.

So I waited in the shadows for them to come. The footsteps grew louder, the mumbles became actual discernible chatter and voices.

"All I'm saying is that Aveline seems less, you know, bitchy." One said

"No, you're trying to get me to commit suicide." The other responded.

"It's not that bad."

"It's pretty bad."

"She wouldn't _kill_ you." The first voice insisted.

"No, but Robin probably would." The Second responded

"…Ok, maybe you have a point."

As they spoke, they crossed into my field of vision, walking across the hardwood floors of the hall, completely ignoring me in the shadows. The walked up to Ruby, stepping ever closer, then…

Then they just walked around her. They both parted, walking around her form, all while continuing their conversation as if nothing important had ever happened.

"You better pray to God that Aveline doesn't hear that you called her bitchy." The second voice said.

"I didn't say she was bitchy." Number one argued defensively.

"You said she was less bitchy, I'm pretty sure she won't see the difference." Number two countered.

I blinked, looking at their disappearing forms, before turning back to Red. She was looking at me with that tilted head again expectantly.

"Are you done yet?" She asked.

While I was surprised by what I saw, I was still cognizant enough to step out of the shadows, look back at the retreating forms of the officers, before looking back at good old creepy red.

"What did you do?' I finally asked. "Did you make yourself invisible to them?"

"No." I shook my head, answering my own question, "They walked around you, and they would have had to have seen you to do that."

"But if they saw you, why didn't they stop? It's like they saw you…but didn't _notice_ you." I mused out loud, cupping my chin with a fist as I thought about what exactly I just saw.

"Basically," Ruby said simply.

I quirked a brow at her questioningly, silently asking her to elaborate.

"It's kind of a perception filter. They still see me, but their brain doesn't perceive me as important enough to do anything with." She tried to explain.

"So…like seeing some random guy out on the street?" I suggested, trying to wrap my head around it.

"…that's not _in_ accurate." Ruby conceded with another tilt of her head

"Sounds fancy," I admitted.

"It's actually not too hard, the human brain already has a tendency to do it when distracted and dealing with immobile targets, I just enhance it." Ruby elaborated.

"Uhuh…" I replied as I mentally added another power to the list of weird shit Red could do.

_Effective invisibility…check_

"Are you just going to keep standing there?" Ruby asked, pulling me from my thoughts on the utility of this new gift.

"Hmm?" I hummed, looking up and seeing her a few feet from her last position.

"Yeah, sure." I said distractedly, catching up and walking in step with her.

"So…" I began, breaking the tentative silence.

"Is that what you did to me? Back to the shop, when you seemed to teleport and shit?" I asked, finally.

Instead of vocally responding, Ruby tilted her head to the side ever so slightly, indicating that I had gotten her attention.

"Except, I wasn't distracted. In fact, I was extremely alert, looking out for anything worrying or _weird_." I mused out loud again.

"So, can you teleport too? Or is that just more of your mind games?" I prodded.

"Why can't it be both?" she asked, a teasing smile in her voice.

"…I'm just going to say mind games," I said after a minute of glaring at the back of her head.

"Really?" Ruby said, a question in her voice.

"Yeah, because I can tell that you love to fuck with people," I said flatly

"Only if they're smart enough to keep up." She quipped back

"…or adorable enough to tease." She amended after a pause of thought.

"Is that a compliment?" I asked tentatively.

"I don't know, you were pretty adorable when you thought I was going to kill you." She jibed back with a grin in her voice.

"Right…" I said, unconvinced.

"Speaking of mind games, however." I began, switching topics.

"What exactly did you do to those guys back at the shop all those months ago?" I asked.

"I told you, I harvested their minds." She answered.

"Yes, you stole their memories or whatever. But that shouldn't kill someone, let alone make them bleed out of their skulls. Plus, you apparently looked at some of my memories and I'm still sane."

"Are you sure about that last part?" She joked back in a hollow voice.

"Did you break me out of jail just so I could be your punching bag?" I shot back, equal parts amused and annoyed by my interactions with her.

To my surprise, however, instead of shooting back a venomous quip, her shoulders sagged as she sighed.

"Sorry." She apologized.

"It's just been a while since I've been able to do this with someone. I…missed…it" She admitted seriously.

"Uh…" I said uncertainly, not really sure where to go from here. I wasn't expecting Ruby to make it all serious and depressing.

"In any case, that's because of the nature of what I'm doing." She explained.

"Which is eating their brains?" I suggested, half-joking.

"Actually, that's not totally inaccurate." She answered, almost surprised herself.

I stopped.

"Wait, what?"

"Hmm?" Ruby hummed curiously, wondering what I was doing with a cocked head.

"You're saying you're a zombie?" I asked.

"…zombie…"Ruby trailed off thoughtfully considering the word

The fact she was considering it at all unnerved me yet again.

Finally, she shook her head from her thoughts and resumed walking.

"If you want a proper analogy, think of the mind as a book. A library book." She began.

I quickly followed behind her, pushing the thoughts of a little zombie girl from my mind.

"Ok." I acknowledged, waiting for the next part of this.

"In that book is every memory, thought, feeling, and experience that makes up who and what you are. I can read that book." She continued.

This wasn't too revealing for me. I already figured she could read minds.

"There are a number of ways to do it, but the simplest is to simply read it, page by page. It's slow, and since I don't own the book, I only have a limited time frame in which I can read the book at any one time, making it go even slower."

"However, the benefit is that I absorb all the knowledge I can from it. It's more thorough, and if I want, I can even cherry pick what information I want. Ignoring some parts while focusing on others."

"Then, there's the other method. When I harvest someone's mind, what I'm essentially doing is grabbing several fistfuls of pages and ripping them out of the book before pocketing them and leaving. As a result, the book is ruined beyond all hope of repair. In some cases, it's little more than shreds of paper when I'm done with it. In return, I get the information much quicker, almost instantly."

"The downside, though, is that I don't get everything, only what I managed to steal from the book. Even worse, I don't usually get to cherry pick, only ripping out what I could dig my hands into. Sometimes the pages I get are torn and incomplete, and sometimes everything I got was useless drivel." She finished.

"Huh." I blinked. "So that's how it works."

"Sort of. It's not a perfect analogy, and there are a bit too many holes and logic problems with it to make me feel completely comfortable with it, but it works well enough." Ruby admitted, a measure of displeasure coming through her voice.

"Eh, it's good enough for me." I shrugged dismissively

"So basically, what I'm gathering from this, is that the faster you go, the more noticeable, sketchier, and all around dangerous it is for you to pull information from someone's head," I said in an open question.

"For the most part, yes." She affirmed.

"But…" She trailed off, twisting her head to give me a side glance with one of those silver eyes.

"It's certainly an effective way to end someone." She said in a dead voice with hollow eyes.

I gulped, despite myself.

"Well, I guess I better not piss you off like Cinder," I said with a dry, nervous chuckle.

"…Piss me off?" She questioned with another cocked head as she turned to face me, walking backward.

"Yeah, you know. Cinder made you mad. Got you angry at her. Invited your fury." I explained.

She blinked owlishly at me.

"I wasn't mad." She corrected.

_What_

"I was annoyed at her immaturity and utterly human response."

"You were...annoyed?" I questioned, my eyes wide in bewilderment at what she was saying.

"Of course." She answered seriously, "I came to here in a very civil manner, offering my services to her, and instead of doing the logical thing of thinking it through and considering my offer, let alone accepting it, she instead threatens me and even makes an attempt on my life inside my home because of a fragment wrapped around her soul and her own pride."

"All in all, a childish and human response." She added

And with that, she turned around and walked away. Leaving me reeling from the implications of that response.

_If burning someone at the stake inside some kind of shadow realm is her answer to annoyance…I don't want to see her angry_

* * *

**Monday, October 31**

**01:00**

The large elevator finished it's descent at the bottom of the shaft with a rumbling _clunk_. The massive metal doors slid open to reveal that we were at the nexus of three halls.

I whistled as I looked around at the cavernous place. It was surprisingly spacious for an underground level.

Gone was the hardwood floors and marble columns. In its place was rock and metal. It was like going from a mansion to a bunker. The halls were massive round tunnels of dark rock reinforced with dark metal ribs. The tunnels were lit by lights imbedded into the bottoms of the walls, leaving the ceiling cast in dark shadows while the metal floor was well lit. The tunnels were so massive it looked like they could drive a tank column through it.

"You sure you brought enough charges to blow this place?" I asked distractedly as I looked around me.

"I brought enough explosives to level this place three times." Ruby answered matter-of-factly

"That seems excessive." I said with a side glance.

"I prefer to be thorough rather than good enough." She answered.

"Fair enough." I conceded with a shrug.

"So, where to next?" I asked, switching topics.

"This way." Ruby said, taking the tunnel to our right.

We continued down it in silence for a few minutes, the earthy scent of earth and rock filling my nose and an eerie dead silence attempting to rattle my nerves. Finally, I decided to break the silence.

"So, where are we going?" I asked.

"To meet up with Neo." She answered.

"I figured that. Sort of wanted clarification on _where_."

"We're heading to the section containing the evidence lockup."

"So that's where all my stuff they took would be?" I inquired.

"Yes." She answered.

I nodded in agreement, glad I'd finally be getting back everything I needed.

Melodic Cudgel, my hat, and most importantly, my cigars.

 _Yes_. I smiled

Of course, it couldn't last. My good mood was shattered by the distant sound of a _bang_ echoing throughout the tunnels. It was muffled and quiet, and didn't exactly sound like a gunshot, but I couldn't be sure.

 _Well…that's not a good sign_ I sighed.

Considering I wasn't hearing any screams, however, it might not be that bad.

 _Still, better safe than sorry_ I thought, shifting Jack's rifle so I carried it with both hands, rather than lazily holding it with one.

I spared a glance at Ruby to see how she was responding to it. She didn't seem to give any visible reaction, but considering her hood was up and her back was facing me, that didn't mean much.

Still, moments later we found ourselves in front of a pair of metal doors and an electronic lock, all with a sign glowing green saying "Evidence Locker"

"Why don't you do the honors?" I "offered" Ruby.

And with a touch of side eye and a wave of her hands, the doors slide to the side to reveal an unexpected, but not uncommon, sight.

"Hello, Neo." I greeted with a false smile.

"I see you made some friends," I added, gesturing with the rifle to the others in the room.

And sure enough, there stood my ice cream themed partner in crime, Neo. Her brown and pink hair cascading down her pink and white dress jacket and her dark pants hugging the shapely legs of her short form. And all over it were flecks of fresh crimson blood.

Laying around her were three bodies on the ground. Two were some boys in blue I didn't recognize, not that that really meant anything. The last, however, was something of a surprise.

It was Mila.

She was lying on the ground in front of Neo. She was unconscious, if the rising and falling of her chest and closed eyes was any indication.

The other two, however, were not so lucky. Each officer had a pool of blood forming under them, their bodies still. Neo's umbrella blade still had blood dripping from its tip. Their bodies were covered in lacerations and bleeding puncture wounds, practically torn to ribbons by Neo's blade, a death by a thousand cuts. In fact, now that I looked at it a bit closer, I could actually see patterns in them, like Neo had been drawing art with their body and blood. Each one had something stuffed in their mouths, gagging them to keep from screaming while Neo had her "fun" with them.

Knowing Neo, she knocked them all out, probably with some kind of stun grenade, before tying them all up. She probably woke the two officers up first because of their weak aura, which made them less dangerous and easier to torture. Then, she' would wake them both up at the same time, and take turns torturing them in front of each other. Considering the size of the pool of blood, she probably just killed them before we walked in ourselves.

Before I could think further on the subject Neo collided with me, wrapping her arms around me as she nuzzled her head into my chest. She hugged me tightly, like a child seeing their father for the first time in months.

I stared at her blankly.

"You know I don't actually have any money on me right now, right?" I said drily

And with those words Neo recoiled from me like I had the plague with a betrayed expression.

"You're breaking me out of _jail_ , it's not like they were going to let me keep all my cash on me," I said, pointing out the flaw in her plan.

She pouted, crossing her arms and looking away from me angrily, her eyes changing to double whites with a few blinks.

"I'm confused," Ruby said, speaking up.

"Neo likes to try and pickpocket me whenever she gets the chance. It's just that this time, I don't have anything _to_ pickpocket." I explained, sending Neo a withering glare for being an idiot.

"Which she forgot because she's an idiot," I added, which prompted a brown-eyed eyed glare from the multi-color girl.

"Hey, there's a reason why I'm the brains and you're the…well…psycho," I countered, gesturing to the pair of gentlemen that "entertained" her with a confident smile.

"I'm actually surprised you managed to finish so fast. Usually you take your time," I commented

Neo's pale face twisted into a childish and exaggerated frown as she silently huffed and angrily kicked the one on the left's leg.

Translation? She was very disappointed. Either in their ability to survive her "fun" and entertain her, the lack of time she had to thoroughly enjoy her time, or a combination of both.

"Is this normal for her?" Ruby asked, looking up at me with a quirked brow.

"Oh, this fun little bundle of psychopathic kleptomania and sadism does shit like this all the time," I remarked.

"Why?" I added

"Feel like joining her on a tirade of running through the station, hacking and slashing at everyone still breathing until there's nothing left but us and some bloody corpses to keep us company?" I asked goadingly.

At this, Ruby actually seemed to recoil slightly in surprise.

"No! That would be grossly inefficient. There are for more efficient methods of neutralization than running around playing axe-murderer." She argued, seemingly insulted that I would even _suggest_ such a thing.

"What, you're saying you don't get all hot and bothered killing people? That it doesn't make you wet in the loins? Give you a satisfying feeling each time their heart stops?" I continued, looming over her with a sharks grin, hoping she took the bait.

I knew she was twisted, and I knew she took some pleasure in what she did to Cinder, what she did was too…passionate…for her not to have taken some joy in watching her burn. I had to know, however, if she was like so many I had met. Like Neo. Someone who _loved_ to kill, who enjoyed it. It wouldn't deter me from her, I mean I'd been working with Neo for years, if she couldn't give me nightmare I doubt much else could. But I still wanted to know if I could trust little Red not to kill me for the hell of it.

"Of course not."

I blinked.

"Why would I enjoy killing?" She questioned with a disapproving frown, like I was some idiot child asking stupid questions.

"So you don't like to kill?" I asked.

It would be weird if she didn't like to kill, considering how well she did it, but I'd seen it before. People willing to kill if they thought it was necessary, but not really liking having to do it.

"I don't care." She answered.

"You don't care?" I said with a raised brow.

"Killing is simply a way to remove a piece from the board. Humans, due to their limited perception of mortality, try to place so much weight on it. Death comes to all that lives, it is inevitable. I simply enact a natural process in an unnatural way." She explained

"So you don't mind killing?" I said for confirmation.

"If anything I dislike killing because it is wasteful and easy. Humans are fragile and killing them usually isn't too difficult. If I kill someone without gaining anything from them or there was a better way than I am ashamed of myself simply because I was acting in a weak, simpleminded, and shortsighted manner." She explained coldly.

"And blowing up this police station isn't doing just that?" I questioned.

"This whole action serves multiple purposes and kills four birds with one stone." She answered.

"Oh really?" I said casually, leaning back away from her, "Care to share?"

"Well, I'd prefer to have you out of here. Unlike Cinder, you don't have a voice screaming in your head to kill me every second you're in the same room as me. Also you have the mind of a businessman, something I can work with." She explained.

"It also lets me test the practical effects of the Thorn Mk VI using experimental Nerve rounds." She added, drawing and inspecting it her hand cannon from her blood red cloak.

"And the other two?" I asked

"объявление" She said distractedly in something that sounded suspiciously like a dialect of Atlesian for "Classified".

Not really sure how she knew Atlesian well enough to speak it so casually, but who knows. Considering everything else this little unspeakable horror in a little girl's body could do and had done, it didn't even really make the top ten interesting things.

"Uhuh." I said drily, turning back to Neo I asked, "So, how's things been without me?"

Neo paused and stared off in thought as she struck a pose, tapping her chin thoughtfully whilst tapping her foot. Finally, she pulled out of it, giving me a slight grimace while wobbling her hand side to side.

Translation: "oh god-creator in heaven, things have been terrible without you incredible guidance and wisdom. Truly, I am lost without you."

Or she meant "eh"

But I like to think it's the first one.

"Awe, I knew you missed me." I said with a teasing grin.

Neo just rolled her brown and white eyes at me.

"Roman." Ruby said, breaking me from my conversation with Neo.

"Hmm?" I hummed, turning back to her.

"You seemed to recognize the woman still breathing in the back. Who is she?" Ruby asked

"Her?" I said, gesturing toward Mila. "That's Mila."

"Full name?" She insisted

"Lyudmila Odessa" I answered.

At that, Ruby's eyes widened ever so slightly as her brow lifted just a hair above normal.

"Really…" she said, staring at the woman

"What can you tell me of her?" She inquired.

"Well…she's a new Watchman. The team's new sniper, I believe. She's a dog faunus, and thanks that and her being the new guy on the force, she's generally looked down on by her colleges." I rattled off

"Oh, she's also fun to tease. Adorable, even." I added.

"Really?" Ruby looked up at me skeptically.

"Oh yeah, she's incredibly naïve." I responded.

I looked back up to see Neo poking Mila's unconscious face with her blade.

"You gonna kill her or what?" I asked

Neo turned to pout at me, silently begging me not to kill her fun.

"Neo." I chastised, "We don't have time for games. Just kill her and be done with it."

Some part of me deep didn't like telling Neo to kill this woman I had grown to know. Some part of me yearned to step in and do something about, to save her life. Something deep inside my hea-

Wait

No.

Those are my lungs.

 _Dammit, I need a smoke._ I coughed.

"Just fucking kill her already." I said, waving her off dismissively as I went in search of the cigarettes, at the very least, they no doubt confiscated and put in here.

Hopefully they didn't get rid of them.

 _I swear, if I find out that one of those fat pigs took one of my cigars…_ I grumbled internally.

I was pulled from my thoguhts by a simple word.

"Wait."

I turned to look Ruby from the corner of my eye. "What?"

"Don't kill her." Ruby said, looking Mila with an inquisitive look on her face, studying every part of the young woman's body with the eyes of a scientist, not a lecher.

"Don't kill her?" I questioned incredulously with a flat look.

"Yes."

At that, Neo seemed to cheer up a bit, no doubt thinking she'd get to have some personal play time with Mila now.

"I want her." Ruby asserted.

"You want her?" I questioned again.

"For science." She added.

"Really?"

"And…personal reasons"

"Which are…?"

"She reminds me of somebody I knew." She explained, her face softening for a moment.

"So you want to kidnap her…for the memories." I said flatly.

"Well, that, and I'd like to have a Faunus I can be free to experiment on to my leisure." She explained.

Sparing a pointed look at me, she elaborated, "I find the existence of Faunus fascinating, and I doubt most Faunus would be willing to let me conduct the experiments I desire on them. Especially the White Fang in Cinder's employ. I doubt, however, they will have issue with one such as her."

"Red…that sounds incredibly stupid. What if she escapes? What if people come looking for her? She could compromise everything!" I sighed as I pinched the bridge of my nose

"So's having your 'secretive' boss chauffer you around in a bullhead wearing easily recognizable and undisguised clothing." Ruby countered pointedly.

 _Ok, that's pretty bad_ I grimaced.

"Plus, no one will come looking for her. The explosion will be so complete that there won't be nearly enough evidence to point to her kidnapping. She'll just be one missing body among dozens." Ruby added

"And finally, considering what I have planned for her, she will be in no shape to escape. Especially not with Neo here to assist me." Ruby finished, glancing at the little psycho in question.

"You know what? Fuck it, it's your problem." I said dismissively, throwing my hands in the air and deciding it was best to just move on and not question the motive of two little psychos.

Neo, of course, being given the opportunity to help "play" with Mila gave me a blindingly bright smile.

She looked as happy as….well…Neo given the opportunity to have some "fun" with someone. Honestly, fat kids in candy stores _wished_ they could be as happy as her.

I decided to fix that.

"And you know what, here's a present." I said, throwing the duffel bag of stuff I had at the little ice cream thief.

She stumbled back a few steps, but caught it well enough. She sent an angry glare at me that might have meant something a few years ago, but as it was I just shrugged it off.

Then, the duffel bag shattered.

It shattered into a thousand shards of glass, but…the glass disappeared soon after. And the duffel bag was nowhere in sight.

"Thankyou." I said with a smile and mocking bow.

That was Neo's semblance in action.

"Fascinating." Ruby said, staring at the girl in question.

Even after all this time, I didn't know the technical specifics of what her semblance actually _did_. What I did know, was what it could do in a practical sense.

So in essence, it made Neo the world's greatest magician. She could conjure up illusions, conjure objects from out of thin air, make them disappear in shattering of non-existent glass, and even teleport the same way.

It was the perfect ability for thieves such as ourselves.

Great for getting out of a sticky situation, and pocketing a horde of loot without needing to worry about carrying it all. The only downside was that Neo couldn't teleport anywhere she hadn't been before or had line of sight of. She also couldn't do it when her aura was drained. Its why she couldn't just pop in and bust me out on her own. She'd never get anywhere close to my cell by herself. Not to mention the 24 hour watchmen guard I had.

Turning away from the girls, who were no doubt moving to Shatter Mila's body into whatever pocket dimension Neo used, I moved back toward the shelves upon shelves of "evidence" looking for my stuff.

"Now where, oh where, did they put my stuff?" I murmured as I browsed the shelves. They didn't put it in alphabetical order, instead using some fancy high minded police sorting system using codes, dashes, numbers, and a whole bunch of other shit I didn't understand.

Frankly, it felt like they just shoved things in here at random.

"Aha!" I cried in triumph, seeing a panel with my name on it, a code underneath, and an electronic lock beside it.

"Red, if you would be so kind." I said, gesturing to her and the panel.

I got the impression she wanted to roll her eyes at me, but instead she just brushed her fingers over the lock and opened it. The panel popped out of the wall, arms swing it down and out of the way as box slid out of the hole. Opening the box, I found everything inside. My cane, my hat, my wallet, my gloves, my gun, my lighter, my clippers, and best of all

My cigar box.

"Oh, it's been too long." I said in a hushed, excited, whisper, as I opened the box and pulled out a nice long cancer stick.

I rolled it in my hand for a moment, feeling the nice firm roll of tobacco, before taking a pair of cigar clippers and cutting of the end. Stowing the clippers in my coat pocket, I pulled my lighter out of the box, and flicked it open. I spun the wheel and lit a dust fueled flame in the wick. Carefully hovering one end of the cigar over the flame, I waited until the cigar began to glow and smoke with its own embers. Pulling the cigar from the lighter, I snuffed out the flame, snapped it shut, and shoved it in my pocket as I turned my full attention back to the lovely cigar I had missed.

Putting it in my mouth, I sucked in a puff of smoke. Now, unlike how most idiots started, I didn't _inhale_ that smoke, that's how you end up hacking up your lungs on the first go. Instead, I just pulled it into my mouth, held it, then blew out threw my lips. I did this a few times to get the garbage out before I could finally take a nice long drag. And oh, it was so nice.

Pulling the cigar from my lips, I looked back down at the roll of tobacco with a fond smile.

"Truly, nothing tastes better than a glass of water when you're dying of thirst." I commented fondly.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ruby take a cigar from my box and roll it around in her tiny pale fingers for a minute inquisitively. Then, she pulled a knife out of her cloak and, emulating me, snipped off the end of the cigar. From there, she put the knife back, pulled out a small blow torch of all things, lit the end, and stuck it in her mouth.

And to my surprise, did not end up hacking her lungs up like most first-timers do.

As my brow raised and my eyes widened ever so slightly, she puffed out a few plumes of smoke herself before finally taking a nice long drag, and holding it.

"Hmm…" She hummed in thought as she savored the flavor and rolled the cigar around in her hands.

"You know, those things'll give you cancer." I teased.

"I can't get cancer." She countered distractedly, still focusing on the stogie in her hand.

"Yeah, so did the last 50 hunters that died of cancer." I remarked. Lots of hunters liked to think that their aura would protect them from cancer. It sort of did, but it didn't give them the license to chain smoke four packs a day.

"If several dozen Sieverts can't do anything to me, I doubt a few rolls of tobacco will" She argued flatly.

"Sieverts?" I questioned, unfamiliar with the term.

She rolled her eyes with a heavy, annoyed sigh, "Several thousand REMs, or Rads if you can't wrap your head around that." She translated.

I got the feeling she was disappointed in me.

"That...sounds like a lot," I said, not really sure what to do with that.

I mean, I've heard of rads, but I didn't really know what they _meant_. But a few thousand of anything is rarely a good thing.

"Капиталистические суки и их имперская система" She cursed under her breath, something about an imperial system and bitches.

And capitalism.

"Uhuh…" I said blankly, not understand what that was actually supposed to mean.

"In any case, now that you have your stuff, can we leave?" Ruby asked, twirling the cigar around in her fingers.

"Sure, I guess, you done here?" I asked her.

"Neo, did you plant all the charges?" Ruby asked, turning to the multi-color girl in question.

She nodded cheerfully in response, Mila already draped over her shoulder somehow.

"Good, then we have one last stop then we can go." Ruby nodded approvingly.

"Oh?" I asked, taking another drag from the cigar.

"We're going to the Watchmen vault."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, in this chap we see Neo again.
> 
> We also see the more interaction between Ruby and Roman, as well as throwing Neo into the mix.
> 
> I wanted to have Neo have more of a presence, but I wasn't sure how to do that considering she doesn't talk and usually plays second fiddle to Roman anyway.
> 
> As Roman said, he's the brains, and she's the psycho.
> 
> We also got more insight into Ruby, her disdain for the imperial system(seriously, it's fucking retarded.), her perception on killing, among other things.
> 
> If you don't know what the imperial system is, it's America's measurement system. It's one of the only countries in the world that still uses the fucking thing. It's the Inches, feet, yards, miles thing.
> 
> And as an American myself, it's one of the things I think is fucking retarded about this country. Metric system is so nice.
> 
> Anyways, getting off topic.
> 
> I also gave you why Cinder tried to kill Ruby when they met. On a meta level, I'm going to just tell you that it's because of the Fall Maiden powers.
> 
> Why am I telling you that straight up? Because that's what I'm trying to have Ruby say when she talks about the fragment, but neither Roman or Ruby know what the hell it actually is, and I didn't feel like waiting another 32 chapters or so to finally have the reveal of what the fuck it's actual name is.
> 
> So yes, the Fall Maiden powers DO NOT LIKE RUBY.
> 
> AT ALL
> 
> Why?
> 
> Now there's the question.
> 
> In other news, Ruby and crew are kidnapping Mila.
> 
> Yeah, that's a thing.
> 
> All in all, I felt like this chapter was kind of flimsy, but I don't really know what to do to fix it, and more importantly, I want to move on.


	32. Scene 32: Burning Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The explosive finale of The Madness of Death, Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, for songs.
> 
> The previous ones still apply, but lets add some new ones.
> 
> Re-Education(Through Labor) by Rise Against (For explosions)
> 
> Come As You Are by Prep School (For more Explosions)
> 
> Bad Moon Rising by Morning Ritual (For Ruby)
> 
> Me and Mine by Brothers Bright (For Ruby)
> 
> Bad Guy by Eminem (For Yang)
> 
> Sweet Dreams(Are Made Of This) by Marilyn Manson (For Yang)
> 
> I'd also like to thank Red, aka TheAngelWolf101, for her help with this.
> 
> In any case, without further ado, enjoy Scene 32
> 
> My longest chapter, the last part of Act II, and the last part of the Volume 1 equivalent.
> 
> Consider it the Season finale, and the Roundup

**Sunday, October 30**

**11:30 am**

**Jaune pov**

"Let the blade pass through the flesh,

Let my blood touch the ground,

Let my cries touch their hearts. Let mine be the last sacrifice"

 _When is this going to be over?_ I wondered internally, bored out of my mind.

Aveline had succeeded in dragging me to church the next Sunday after all. Something I had been dreading. And, to my immense displeasure, it was just as boring as I thought it was going to be. I tuned out basically every word the preacher spoke.

"And with those final words, The Shepard plunged his blade deep within his gut. His holy blood fell to the ground, burning it with it's power. Then, the righteous fury of his pure soul burst from the wound. The light of it spread further and further, pushing back the darkness.

It spread across the whole world, as his love for all of the God-Creator's children moved it. On that day, his soul blessed each and every one of us, so we could all carry a torch in his stead." The priest continued.

I yawned.

_Is she done now?_

"Now, join me in singing the Chant of Transcendence." She announced.

 _Oh thank God._ I thought, sagging in relief.

_Whack!_

"Owe!" I whined, rubbing the sore spot on the back my head where Aveline hit me.

"Stand up." She said in a tone that brokered no argument.

Grumbling, I did as she said and stood up. She held the book in her hand out to me, showing me the verses. When I looked up at her, a question on my lips, I saw her glaring down at me. Even to me, it was pretty clear she wanted me to sing along.

So sing I did.

Well, more like mouth the words in time with everyone else. It's not like Aveline would be able to tell I was actually singing over the sounds of the whole rest of the church doing it.

Finally, after what felt like hours, it was over.

Everyone got up and started to file out of the chapel. In fact, the most interesting part about this whole thing was the chapel itself. It was beautiful.

Right now we were in a secondary chapel under the primary one, which was only used during special events. Despite being underground, it was still a pretty sight to see. Rows of dark oak pews in two columns lined the room. Large, octagonal, black marble columns rose up and met arches on the top of the alabaster white ceiling.

The walls were filled with paintings of various things. They were vaguely familiar to me, enough to know that it was filled with Auroran symbols and stuff, but I couldn't for the life of me remember what they actually meant.

Covered several alcoves in front of many of the paintings, as well as incense to burn in offering and prayer. The hardwood floor was covered in tasteful decorative rugs filled with more religious iconography. In the back of the church was a carved statue on a golden altar of some kind.

 _This place is actually pretty beautiful_ I thought.

"So Jaune, did you get all that?" She asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Wha-?" I spun around, surprised, and not really hearing what she said.

"Really Jaune?" She sighed

"Did you even pay attention to any of this stuff?" She asked worriedly.

"Er, well, I sorta did." I tried to lie, but I knew I had failed when her shoulders sagged.

"Jaune-"She began.

"I'm sorry," I interrupted, knowing where this was going and trying to defend myself. "But it's just so…. _boring._ There's nothing here to grab me, and my mind wonders. All I'm doing is sitting around listening to some old woman talk on and on about some ancient stories."

As I finished, Aveline closed her mouth and just stared at me with her arms crossed and a frown on her face. Finally, after what felt like hours under her sapphire gaze, she shook her head.

"Jaune, come with me. I have something to show you." She said in a soft voice that lacked the bite and anger I had expected.

Still, I followed her through the aisles of the chapel. Finally, she stopped in front of another of the paintings with an offering alcove in front of it. The painting was of a man wearing silver armor with red stripes wielding a sword wreathed in flames. Behind shone a bright light that filled the sky and pierced through the swarms of darkness trying to surround him. He had short black hair with trimmed beard on his resolute face. His eyes were filled with bright white light like that coming from behind him, giving him the feeling of being something more than human.

"This is the Shepherd." Aveline announced, pointing to the painting.

"He's, like, the savior of the world. The first hunter, or something, right?" I asked, vaguely remembering this.

"He's more than that, Jaune, he's the one that gave us our Aura." She announced.

"Wait, he what?!" I cried. "You mean he taught us how to do it, right?"

"Not quite, my boy." A woman's voice from beside me said. Turning, I was startled to see an older woman, about my mom's age, with long graying hair and soft blue eyes wearing white and red robes with the silver and gold symbol of the church on a necklace.

"Mother Justinia ! What are you doing here?" Aveline exclaimed in surprise.

"Well, this _is_ my church. I do hope I am welcome in it." She said with a wry smile.

"Er, my apologies Mother Justinia . I just wasn't expecting you to come up to us. I thought you would have some other duties to attend to." Aveline explained, blushing in embarrassment.

"My duty is to my church and all the sons and daughters of the God-Creator. What better duty would I have than to help someone new to the church?" The priestess questioned.

"Right, my apologies again, Mother." Aveline said with a nervous chuckle.

"It is fine, my child." The priestess comforted.

"Now," She said, turning to me. "Who is this?"

"This is my little brother, Jaune." Aveline introduced as she ruffled my hair, much to my chagrin. "He just got into town and it's been awhile since he's been to church. I'm trying to show him around, get him situated in the city, and re-introduce him to the church."

"A fine goal." She nodded with a content smile.

"So, my boy, you want to know about the Shepheard?" She questioned.

To be completely honest, not exactly, but that probably would have been rude, so instead I just said, "Sure" with a nervous smile.

"Well, as you probably know, before the Shepherd, the forces of Grimm were pushing us back. We were barely fighting them off at all. We didn't have Aura, we didn't have Dust, nothing." She began.

"The God-Creator, in his infinite mercy and kindness, looked down at our plight, and could not stand by while we were slowly driven extinct. So he bestowed upon us, the Shepheard, a great, noble, and kind warrior with a weapon the forces of the soulless darkness couldn't hope to master, the power of the soul itself."

"Aura." Aveline added.

"Yes, he was the first and only person with Aura. It is said that no one person has ever been able to match the strength of his Aura. With the strength of his light, he could single-handedly take on armies of older Grimm, even killing ancient titans among them once thought to be invincible.."

"He was like a force of nature, unstoppable and unyielding. But unfortunately, he was only one."

"Soon, he realized that for all the good he did by himself, he could not be everywhere. While he was saving people in West, people in East were being slaughtered. While he traveled to the North, people in the South died by the hundreds. It was finally during the great battle of Stirring Night that he realized that as strong as he was, he was not invulnerable. Not from all the strength and cunning of the darkness."

"So from that day of great victory forward, he sought to find a way to change this. To keep the people of Remnant safe for all eternity. He considered fighting to the heart of darkness to kill it, but realized that this was a foolish and ultimately pointless journey. Darkness cannot be killed so long as light exists. The two are in a natural balance. Trying to stomp out darkness is as pointless as trying to destroy night."

"Finally, on the eve of the battle of the Rising Dawn, he realized what he had to do."

"Do you remember what I said earlier in the sermon today, my boy?" She asked pointedly.

"Uh…" I trailed off

 _I have no idea what she said_.

Instead of getting mad, however, she just smiled again.

"Let the blade pass through the flesh,

Let my blood touch the ground,

Let my cries touch their hearts. Let mine be the last sacrifice" She recited, "Those are the words I spoke."

"And they are the last words of the Shepheard. For when he did this, he did what many thought unthinkable." She continued, walking toward a different painting on the wall.

This one also had the Shepheard on it, but his blade had been plunged deep into his gut by his own hands. Burning blood and light poured from the wounds, flying out in all directions. In other Paintings, I could see beams of light fly into men and women, giving them strength and power. The blood, on the other hand, seeped into the ground, infusing the very planet with its light, turning into crystals buried deep beneath the earth.

"The Shepherd sacrificed himself, and imbued his body and blade with his aura, before plunging it into his chest. In dying, he released his own light, and sent it across the makings of the God-Creator. With his last breath, he gave us the ability to have Aura, and all it gives us."

"He sacrificed his own life, so the rest of us could live ours, so great was his love for mankind." She finished solemnly.

"So…one guy is the reason we have Aura?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around this. It wasn't that hard, actually, I'm pretty sure I already knew this stuff, I had just forgotten.

"And Dust as well." The Priestess added.

"In other words, if it wasn't for the Shepherd's sacrifice, hunters wouldn't exist, there would be no Dust, and society wouldn't be anything close to what it is today." Aveline elaborated.

"Assuming mankind would still be around at all." She added darkly.

I gulped at the implications of that. Of course, a darker portion of my mind sinisterly added, _assuming that's even true_

I might not have been proud of it but...my faith had slipped. Assuming I ever had it in the first place. I suppose the way things in my life turned out doesn't really help. I haven't exactly been blessed in my life.

 _Then again,_ I considered, _I made it through Initiation alright, and from what everyone seems to be telling me that's nothing short of a miracle._

 _Plus_ I thought, glancing at my sister, _I found Aveline again. I had almost given up hope on that ever happening._

"Thank you for your assistance, Mother." Aveline graciously said with the slightest of bows in deference to the priestess.

"Oh, it was nothing, my child. Please, come to me if you have further need of my aid. The church is always open." She smiled warmly.

And with that, we made our way out of the church. Just as we exited the church, Aveline finally spoke up.

"So, Jaune, how was your first day back." She asked with a hopeful smile.

"Boring." I immediately blurted out before I could stop myself.

My eyes widening in horror, I glanced at my sister to see a disappointed and almost despondent look on her face.

"Is that so…" She trailed off in a concerned tone, her brows furrowed in a frown.

"You can hardly blame the boy." A deep, rough, accented voice, said from behind me. A voice not unlike the force of an avalanche raining down from a mountain.

"Ah!" I yelped in surprise, practically jumping ten feet in the air.

Spinning around, I found myself facing 7ft of barbarian warrior muscle straight from the hellish frosted wastelands of Atlas.

"L-Lt. N-Niflheim!" I stammered in shock.

He was standing not 3 feet behind me, wearing a black suit with white shirt and a navy blue tie. Despite his frame, the suit didn't look like it was tight or constrained on him, in fact, it looked like it fit him perfectly.

Instead of responding, Lt. Niflheim simply stared at me. Finally, he turned to Aveline and asked, "…Is he just now noticing me?"

"Yes." Aveline sighed.

"I'm almost impressed by how sad that is." He commented drily.

"Where did you come from?" I questioned, pointing a finger at him accusingly. "Are you stalking us?"

"…I was in the church." He intoned flatly.

"Why?" I questioned.

"I go to this church."

"You go to church!" I exclaimed in surprise.

"…are you sure he's your brother?" Lt. Niflheim asked Aveline, pointedly ignoring me.

"Yes." Aveline sighed again.

"Then why is he so rude and stupid?" He continued.

"He's not that bad."

"He insults my honor, doubts my faith, and has no situational awareness whatsoever." He listed off.

"…ok, yeah," Aveline conceded

"But he's so sweet and innocent." She said, grabbing hold of my shirt and pulling me into a tight hug, nuzzling the top of my head with her chin. "Like a koala!"

"Mentally handicapped to the point of being suicidal?" He inquired.

"Yes."

" _Aveline_ " I whined, blushing brightly in embarrassment, struggling in her iron grip.

"See?" Aveline said, as if this proved her point.

Lt. Niflheim, in way of response, silently raised a brow at the two of us.

Rolling her eyes, she let go of me and turned fully to Lt. Niflheim.

"So, got any place in particular this time?" She asked him.

"Not really. He's your brother, you should decide." He answered.

Finally recovering from my sister's "attack", I spoke up.

"What?"

"We're trying to figure out where to take you in the town to get something to eat. Since you just got here, you need to learn your way around town. Including the best places to eat." Aveline explained while still thinking about where to go.

"Why's he coming?" I questioned, pointing at Lt. Niflheim.

"Because he's my best friend." She responded dismissively

"Isn't this, like illegal? Preferential treatment of students and stuff?" I asked nervously, secretly just looking for any excuse to not be near the mountain of a man that made me look like a twig.

"Not really. I hate you." Lt. Niflheim shrugged.

Aveline responded by slamming an elbow into the man's gut so fast all I saw was a blur. Despite that, the only reaction Lt. Niflheim gave was to quietly grunt.

"Quiet you." She said with a half-hearted glare.

"Ah!" She cried, snapping her fingers, "I got it!"

"We can go to Abners!" She decried.

"Abners?" Lt. Niflheim said, letting the question float out.

"Yeah, it's near the School, relatively speaking. I used to go there all the time when I went to Beacon." She explained.

"Fair enough, I suppose." Lt. Niflheim acquiesced

And without even paying to my, admittedly weak, protest, they walked off, Aveline dragging me to her black muscle car while Lt. Niflheim went around the corner. All the while, I kept thinking the same series of thoughts.

_Finding my sister again was a blessing_

_Right?_

* * *

**Monday, October 31.**

**2:00 AM**

I whistled loudly at the sight in front of me.

"That's one hell of a door." I commented.

"I believe this used to be the primary armory back when this was a military instillation." Ruby said from beside me.

"Uh Huh." I responded distractedly.

The "door" was a massive 15 ft tall imposing gate made out of armor plating that made a tank look like a paper mache toy. An iron gear in the center of it with a tree sculpted into it represented the "doorknob" of it all. The lock on it was some kind of electronic lock combined with an analogue keyhole.

"Well, Red, I don't suppose that your fancy magic tricks can open analog locks." I said sarcastically

To my surprise, she actually walked up to the lock, pressed her hand against the electronic lock, which chimed in positive confirmation. She turned to the keyhole and…

Pulled out a key, put it in, and unlocked it.

"…That's cheating." I grumbled.

"It worked."

"It wasn't a magic trick, you just used a key."

"All's fair in love, war, and crime." She argued dully as she pressed the button on the pad to unlock the door.

And like that, it came alive.

The central gear turned, groaning loudly as pushed the other gears in motion. The machinery in the door roared to live as solid, heavy, locks slid out of place with a rhythmic series of _Thunks_. The doors slid apart slowly, revealing three other doors behind it opening along with it.

I whistled again, "That's some pretty heavy security."

"You don't even know. There was a code lock, a DNA sensor, hand scanner, and voice print identifier." Ruby added.

"Where'd you get the key?" I asked, walking toward the door.

"Jack's body." She answered.

"Ah, that makes sense." I nodded.

"Neo, think you could've made it in here without little Red here?" I asked, turning to my silent partner in crime.

She frowned, tapping her finger against her lip in thought, before shaking her head.

"Huh." I said simply, impressed.

_There isn't much that Neo can't find a way around. If Neo actually needed Red's help for this break in, then I have to give the VCPD credit, they have some tight security._

"So, any idea why it's so secure?" I asked ruby.

"The Watchmen are equipped with the bleeding edge in combat technology. They have to leave most of it in here when not on duty. In fact, all other experimental prototypes, highly dangerous or expensive weapons and technologies at the VCPD's hands are stored within their Watchmen Vaults." She explained in a hollow voice.

And right as she finished, we came to the end of the corridor of locks and doors, and to the vault itself.

"Alright, this is pretty fancy." I admitted, looking around.

This was a treasure trove of weapons, armor, and tech. It was practically fresh from the labs in Atlas. There was only one suit of armor on the racks, Lt. Niflheim's, while the others were missing.

"So you gonna be taking all of this?" I questioned

"With Neo's help, yes." She answered.

"Aren't they going to notice?" I asked.

"That's why I'm using explosives, to get rid of evidence." She explained.

"How much did you bring, anyways?" I asked.

"About 1250kg of high explosives and another 250kg of incendiaries." She explained.

"That's…that's a lot." I said, stunned by how much they brought.

"I needed to be thorough." She countered.

"Yeah yeah, I get it." I said dismissively "So Red, what've you been up to while I was locked up in here? Enjoying school?" I asked idly as I walked around.

"I was adopted by Glynda Goodwitch, and school has so far been an overall pleasant experience." She responded plainly, as if it was of no consequence.

I blinked.

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. You got _adopted_? By Glynda Goodwitch? The huntress you wanted to kill? How? _Why?_ " I exclaimed incredulously

At this, she actually paused for a moment, a flicker of emotion passing through her eyes.

"…A few hours after you were detained, my father arrived at the hospital for me. After Ms. Goodwitch and Ozpin explained what they knew happened, he…" She hesitated.

"He tried to kill me." She finally said.

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad." I dismissed, assuming it was hyperbole.

"He called me a demon inhabiting the skin of his daughter and strangled me all while bashing my head against a wall with the hopes of caving my skull in." She retorted matter-of-factly.

"Oh…that….that is bad." I admitted, having the courtesy of looking sheepish at that.

I could tell that this brought up some emotions for her, I mean, how could it not. Having your parents try to kill you in cold blood would get some kind of reaction out of anyone. Still, I didn't _really_ care, at least on a personal level, I just felt like the new atmosphere was awkward as hell.

"In fact, I would have died, had Ms. Goodwitch and Prof. Ozpin not intervened." She explained with a pensive and confused face, as if their actions still perplexed her.

"So what, she adopted you, now you have a happy nice little fake family going?" I snarked.

"In a way, I suppose. She's nice enough, and for some reason feels responsible for me. I like her." Ruby admitted.

"Not going soft on me, are you?" I questioned.

"Soft?" She shot back with a razor-sharp and flat tone.

"Just want to make sure you got your priorities straight, and you know where your loyalties lie." I defended, holding up my hands in peace.

"My loyalties are to myself. My priorities are to myself. And all I am is to Lucifer. It would be wise of you not to make the mistake of presuming too much." She said with narrowed eyes and veiled hostility.

"Ok red, got it. My mistake." I backed off, trying not to piss her off.

Internally, however, I was worried.

_I have no doubt that Goodwitch would love nothing more than to throw me back in jail. If she adopted Red, then that means she might be getting her hooks into the girl._

While part of me is more worried about Goodwitch unsuspectingly adopting an unholy monster of a little girl, I'm also worried about what this might mean for me.

 _What if Goodwitch manages to convince Red to turn us in? To be a "good guy"? If she plays her cards right, she could twist Red against us._ I thought, concerned.

On the outside, I simply spun around and looked around the room. On the inside, however, I was worried about what to do about Red and Goodwitch.

 _I guess I'll just have to try and find some way overcome Goodwitch's influence with my own. Get my own hooks into the girl, so to speak._ I considered.

_Either that…or I'll have to find a way to drive a wedge between Goodwitch and Red._

I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind as I payed further attention to the shelves in front of me.

The shelves were lined with guns and ammunition, each one rare and worth easily three times as much as the basic shit on the market. Another thing of note was the lack of dual purpose weapons, or other crazy fancy hunter shit. Sure, it was high tech and fancy, but it was also simple in its purpose. Like Jack's rifle.

Mawr was an assault rifle. Sure, it fired incendiary ammunition that could melt someone from the inside out, but that's it. That's not a bad thing. Less moving parts means less maintenance, less things to go wrong, less chance of breaking, and more reliability. It had a solid set of sights, good ergonomics, and was ambidextrous. It also looked like it was modular, allowing someone to customize more intently based on the situation. All in all, I couldn't really ask much more from a gun.

And it was a trend that seemed to continue with everything here. They all looked like they were modular, yet focused. They did a job, and they did that specific job, or sets of jobs, well, but didn't try to be a mish-mash of different things so it could do everything.

Frankly, considering all the Hunters I've had to deal with, it was refreshing. I mean, even my Melodic Cudgel, as fancy as people might think it was, was extraordinarily simple. It was a cannon that fired 40mm dust explosives in the shape of a cane. Neo's weapon of choice was just an umbrella with a sword in it. A damn good sword, but a sword nonetheless.

That said, Neo could pull practically any weapon she wanted out of thin air, so it didn't really matter.

"Roman." Ruby said, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Yes?" I responded, spinning around to face her.

"Catch." She said, throwing something at me.

Reacting, I caught it out of the air a few inches from my face. Spinning it around to look at it, I found myself looking at some kind of large watch made of white-gold with black highlights.

"What's this?" I asked, idly pressing buttons on it.

"A TACPAD. Basically a kind of wrist mounted holographic tactical scroll. You can also use it to remotely hack things." She explained, "I thought you might find it useful."

"And it looks like a watch so it blends in with for an undercover or plainclothes operative." I mused out loud,

"Handy." I said, nodding in approval as I strapped it onto my wrist. "Also fits my style."

I looked up in time to see Neo Shattering Lt. Niflheim's massive set of armor with her semblance. Looking around I realized the place was almost cleaned out already.

Deciding to spend some time getting used to this TACPAD while they finished, I pushed more buttons on the thing, trying to get the one that made it do something other than look like a typical watch. Then, suddenly, it clicked and chimed in approval, before emitting a hologram above the face of the watch.

I jerked back in surprise at the apple sized projection, before looking more closely at it. Soon, I realized it was a 3D map of the entire Police Station. Blinking, I looked more closely at it, and saw one of the rooms had a white arrow in it. Idly poking it, I was surprised when the map zoomed in on the arrow. I determined the arrow was "me" and which direction I was facing.

It was pretty impressive that it could figure out where I was and the whole layout of this place so fast, but considering it was the police's, I shouldn't be too surprised it knows what "home" looks like.

"Cool." I commented, playing with the map some more.

"We're done." Ruby announced moments later.

"Oh good." I said, looking up at the cleaned out room.

"Can we go now? I've been stuck in this station for months. I'd like to see it burn." I said, growing impatient.

"Anything left for you Neo?" Ruby asked

Neo shook her head with a shrug.

"Good, can you take us to our ride?" She asked.

With that, neo smiled and nodded. She motioned for us to come over to her. Knowing what she was about to do, I walked over to her, and braced myself for it. Once we were close enough, she reached out, wrapped her arms around ours, and blinked.

I heard the sound of glass shattering around me as the world fell away. I felt a sense of vertigo, like I was falling from the top of a skyscraper. The world around me fractured into a pink and brown kaleidoscope against a segmented white background.

Then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone. It all shattered to pieces, falling away to reveal that we were somewhere else.

I blinked, shaking the stars from my vision. Neo's little teleportation trick was nice, but disorienting. Still, Neo's world paled in comparison to Ruby's Purgatory.

Looking around, I realized that we were in a hanger. There were four police issue bullheads in here, though 2 of them looked like they were half taken apart and in repairs. Along with that was a fancy Police Cardinal Gunship. The fancy Watchmen Bullhead, however, was conspicuously absent. It was all well good, but I noticed something in the back, something with a cover over it.

"What's that?" I asked, walking over to it.

"Our ride." Ruby answered.

"And it is?" I asked with a raid brow.

"An Owl Stealth Ship." She answered.

"Owl?" I Inquired.

"It's new."

"How new?"

"They got it a few days ago."

"What's so special about it?"

"It's an experimental stealth dropship. Something of a present for 'taking care of the White Wolf'" She answered with a frown, her voice growing venomous when she referred to them handling the White Wolf.

"Stealth ship?" I asked, ignoring it.

"Yes." She affirmed, "Would you do the honors?"

 _Why do I have to do all the heavy lifting?_ I thought with a sigh.

Relenting, I walked over, and pulled the black cover off the dropship.

"Alright, _that_ is gorgeous." I admired out loud.

It had the basic profile of a standard Bullhead, but it was all angles and corners, not a curve in sight. It had two trapezoidal engines on either side of its primary wings, and a set of smaller trapezoidal engines on the rear wings. All of them looked like they were on a fancy ball and joint socket, meaning they could maneuver in more than two directions. Another change was the fact that it didn't have a windscreen. There were no windows anywhere on the thing. It was all just sleek black stealthy panels.

"So we're taking this?" I asked one last time.

"Yes."

"You know how to fly it?" I asked.

"It's supposed to be about the same as a standard Bullhead, if not easier." She answered, walking up to it.

"So I should be able to fly it no problem?" I said for confirmation.

"Well, I don't know about _you_ , but Neo probably could." She teased with a straight face.

I spared her an unamused glare. Neo gave her a shining smile.

A few minutes later, we were inside the dropship and on the elevator taking us to the launch pad.

"Won't they notice us?" I asked from the cockpit, familiarizing myself with the controls. Apparently this thing used sensors on the outside to make a simulated 360 view screen with an integrated HUD in place of actual glass.

"None of the security systems will notice us." She answered.

"I'm not talking about robots, I'm talking about real, flesh and blood, people." I argued, growing concerned about this breakout.

"Not really, this is a stealth ship, after all, and it's not like they'll be able to tell that we're in it. Plus it's the dead of night and they're running on a skeleton crew." She explained. "As far as they're concerned, this is just one of their own taking off in the fancy new dropship they got."

"Besides." She added, "They'll be dead before it matters."

"I just want to make sure we're not in for a bumpy ride." I responded

Soon enough, a small tremor went through the craft as we reached the top of the lift, and the surface of the landing pad.

Triggering the ignition, the engines began to rumble as they went live. Despite feeling the vibrations through the ship, it was much quieter than it should have been.

 _Hmm, maybe we will get out of this without anyone noticing_ I thought, seeing no one on the launch pad.

"Alright, better buckle in, we're taking off." I said, pulling back on the throttle, causing the whining of the engines to grow louder, but not by much. Soon, the quiet rumblings grew into a dull, whispering, roar. The craft shook as the four engines working in concert overpowered the strength of gravity. A slight feeling of vertigo came over me as I was no longer bound by the normal restrictions of gravity.

Without wasting anymore time, I looked over the controls one last time, made sure everything was in the green, and took off from the platform. Going up in a smooth accelerated climb, I took the stealth ship up to a low altitude of 1,000 ft, and set the craft to hover around the area.

"So Red." I began, shouting to the back holding area. "You gonna blow that place or what?"

"It's on a timer." She answered.

"Oh." I said disappointedly.

_Well, I guess I won't get to watch the fireworks_

"And it will be going off in…34" She continued.

"33…"

 _Or maybe I will_ I thought, jerking my head back in surprise.

Quickly, I set the Owl into a holding pattern over the station, circling it like a vulture. I pressed the auto pilot button, something I found while I was checking the craft. With a press of the nice glowing green button, the plane continued the flight pattern I had set for it.

"29…" She continued to drone out rhythmically.

Unstrapping myself from the chair, I ran to the back of the plane where Neo and Ruby were sitting. One of the two had already opened up the side doors for the dropship, giving me an impressive view of the nightly cityscape.

"21…"

Even this close to the engines, they were whisper quiet. Relatively speaking, of course. Still, in the hustle and bustle of a city, I'd be hard pressed to hear it. In fact, if I didn't know what I was listening for, I wouldn't think this was a dropship at all. I mean, it'd be weird and suspicious as hell, but I wouldn't immediately assume a dropship.

Not considering how loud the roaring of those big round engines normally are.

Honestly, the engines were about as loud as the winds whipping into the cabin.

"10…"

* * *

"It's crazy, huh?" One dark haired man said, an officer in blue walking up the steps to the police station he worked at.

"What is?" asked his partner, a blonde woman in a similar blue uniform.

As the two officers talked, buried inside the building they were walking toward, a clock counted down. The digital programs counting down one second at a time, waiting for the right moment to strike. Joining it were dozens of fellow bombs, tucked in hidden corners and spaces, invisible to the careless eye.

"Right after our Watchmen team kills the White Wolf the White Fang start acting suspicious." He answered.

As one timer ended, small capsules of incendiary dust began to heat up a volatile chemical compound.

"You mean getting all quiet? Considering how the Watchmen took out a major White Fang hideout too it's not surprising they went to ground." She replies. "And the brass is concerned that they're planning something big in return, that's why we're out here."

The compound began to react to the heat, chemical bonds reacting and changing.

"It feels like we just can't get a break. I mean, first the White Wolf, now the White Fang's gonna be stirring up shit?" He commented.

And as it changed, heat and pressure built up in its container.

"I don't know, but I do know one thing." The woman began. "I'm so glad we have those Watchmen. Who knows how many squads of us grunts it would have taken to smoke those guys out?"

Until the container could hold no more

"Yeah, sometimes it feels like they're invincible." He smiled as he pulled open the door for her.

As he did, 15 bombs placed throughout the surface levels of the massive fortress of a police station detonated. They were under desks and chairs, in trash cans and shelves, all out of sight and out of mind. And in series of consecutive blasts, they detonated, one by one.

Starting from the entrance hall, a massive fireball ignited, blasting through everything it could, incinerating everything in its way. It tore through the ceiling, annihilated the doors, and as the door opened to let it out, it roared out of the entrance.

The fireball burst out of the large entrance, the shockwave of it blasting them, turning their insides to jelly, scorching their bodies, and sending them flying back to the ground below.

Before anyone could even begin to react to the explosion in the central hall, 14 other explosions detonated through the compound, expanding out from the center in succession. Each one tearing through the building, before bursting out through the nearest window, door, or vent it could find. Bystanders watched on in horror as fire blasted out of every nook and cranny of the ancient building.

While the exterior of the building was made of metal and stone, the interior used large amounts of strong, sturdy, and old wood, as was traditional in Vale. So while the outside found no purchase for the unrelenting flames, the interior fed its hunger. The end effect was similar to an oven. The inside burned hotly, while the outside kept the heat in, concentrating on the inside, and making them surge in intensity.

Those who didn't die from the initial blast, soon found themselves being cooked alive inside the structure they once felt so safe in. Noxious fumes and gases from the fire filled the hot air, and choked the lungs of all inside.

For a moment, a precious instant after the initial explosion, everything stopped. Everyone just looked in frozen disbelief and horror at what had happened before their very eyes. Then, it happened.

Panic hit the streets like a freight train as it sunk into their bones what just happened. Emergency services were called to respond, all police in the area recalled and immediately alerted. Unfortunately, it could not have come at a worse time. At the witching hour, near everyone was asleep, and only the night crew was on duty, far too few to handle a crisis of this magnitude. Alerts were sent out, and thousands woke from their homes in panic.

Fear and confusion gripped the city as the clock struck 3:00 am.

* * *

**Aveline pov**

**Monday, October 31**

**3:00 am**

I had been asleep on the couch, my little brother on the loveseat. He had crashed at my place instead of heading back to the dorm, and we ended up staying up watching movies, eating pizza, and catching up. Honestly, it was one of the greatest nights in my life, and I went to sleep feeling content.

Then the alert came.

And it all came crashing down.

My heart pounded in my chest as I saw the alert that the Station had been attacked.

Leaving a note on the fridge and a text in Jaune's phone, I got dressed, brought Manum Pallentis, and raced downstairs. Jumping in my Durant Chevalier, and made best speed to the Station, using the car's siren to help clear the way, not that it needed clearing. Not till I arrived.

And when I did it was…devastating.

Ice filled my veins as I saw the once glorious and resolute station was ablaze. While the structure itself was still standing strong, flames poured from every orifice in the building, signaling the hellfire within. I stopped my car a couple blocks away from crowd surrounding the station. Somehow news crews had already arrived at the scene before me, no doubt swarming the area like parasites, just trying to get the best "scoop" they could.

Getting out of the car, I pushed my way through the crowds, finally entering the clearing the police in the area had made. Everyone here was a local officer, the first responders to the call, so I didn't even need to flash my badge, they knew me.

The first thing that hit me was the sight of it. The once glorious structure now a blackened husk filled with fire and death. Ashes and smoke from the raging flames filled the air, joining the sounds of sirens and chatter.

I looked around to see the numerous firefighters doing their best to fight the inferno, but the source of the blaze lay inside the armored and insulated interior. All in all, despite their efforts, it was a pointless fight, most of the water instantly evaporating before even reaching the fires inside. I could hear and even see a few more coming in to help fight this conflagration. In the sky I saw several craft in the skies, ranging from news, to police, and even medevacs, the rumbling of their engines adding to the mess of sound in the area.

I saw paramedics and EMS attending to the survivors, focusing on those severely injured, and not those with a few cuts and bruises. Unfortunately, there was all too many of the former. I saw many men and women covered in severe burns, some barely even recognizable anymore. Many were carted off in ambulances and medivacs, but there were too many bodies and not enough transports to carry them all, leaving them in the hands of the medics here. The air was filled with a disgusting and pungent scent of ash, smoke, fire, blood, and the scent of burning and charred flesh.

All in all, it was enough to make my stomach roil and my blood boil.

Taking a breath, I unclenched my fists, and tried to refocus. Looking around, I spotted the captain coordinating with other officers and firefighters.

"Captain Inutile!" I said, jogging up to him.

"Aveline, good." He acknowledged with a nod when he noticed me, "Glad to see your up."

"What-" I began, swallowing the lump in my throat, "What happened?"

He sighed deeply, looking at the sight of the station, "Approximately 20 minutes ago, a series of incendiary explosives went off inside the building. From what we can tell, this wasn't just a singular bomb, this was a thorough job. There isn't a spot on the main building that wasn't engulfed in flames."

"What about the bottom levels?" I asked, knowing that the subterranean parts were like a bunker.

"We don't know, haven't been able to get to them. Every entrance is, well, covered in fire." He answered.

"Plus, we have bigger problems on our hands at the moment." He said, gesturing to all the injured.

I faltered as my heart twisted in agony for those hurt by this, "How bad?" I asked, needing to know, no matter how much it hurt me.

"About 12 officers injured, and 26 civilians. As for dead…" He trailed off, looking back toward the fire.

"You don't know." I figured

"No, we don't. We'll be able to confirm it once the fires are out, but for now it's hard to say." He said.

I took another calming breath to hold myself together, and looked back at him, "Where do you need me?" I asked, ready and willing to do whatever I needed.

"Got any fancy tricks in the bag of huntress goodies that can help with this?" Inutile asked, gesturing with a thumb back at the fire as he referred to my semblance. It was somewhat well known that I had "magic Huntress powers" that let me do things others on the force couldn't, he was probably hoping that maybe I had one to help fix this.

I grimaced and wracked my brain for how to possibly deal with this. I knew all the incantations in the Arc family library, and even created a few of my own. The problem was, finding the right one to deal with this. Most revolved around combat, not damage control.

Finally, I shook my head, "I don't think so."

"But, I know several healing hymns, I can help with that." I added, eager to help however I could, and confident in my ability to heal.

"Well, to be honest, I was half joking, but if you can help the medics out, I think that's where you'd be most helpful." He replied, nodding.

"Alright, I'll get straight to it, sir." I started to turn to help the medics.

 _If I can do anything to help, regardless of how glorious it is,_ I thought, running toward the makeshift tents they were setting up

_If I can do_ _**Something** _ _, I'll do it in a heartbeat._

* * *

**Monday, October 31**

**3:15 am**

**Torchwick pov**

I whistled loudly at the burning building below.

"Well Red, I guess you're right. You do know what you're doing." I admitted, transfixed by the sight of all the people and cars running around down there.

"So, Neo." I began, sparing a glance at the ice-cream princess.

"What did you think of your little operation?" I asked with a smirk.

She turned to me with glistening eyes and a wide smile filled with awe. Like a child seeing their first fireworks. Honestly, it was kind of cute, the way the flickering blaze below lit her face up and shined in her eyes. Cute in a dark and mad sort of way, all things considered.

"Alright, well, let's head out." I smiled, getting up from my seat and heading to the cockpit.

I was stopped when Ruby spoke up once more.

"Earlier…" She began, her voice cutting through the static of sirens and screams.

"Earlier I told you that I hadn't been mad, just annoyed." She continued.

"Then, you wondered what I was like when I _was_ mad." She said before turning to face me.

She looked me in the eye with those hollow silver eyes. One blink, and they turned from being normal eyes, to solid silver orbs, no white or pupil in sight. She did this and looked into me, _through_ me, with those piercing eyes, analyzing me as the corners of her lips twitched into a frown that was small, but hard as steel.

* * *

While scores of people on the surface milled about, working on damage control, thinking the danger had passed, down below the surface, something was at work. For while 15 bombs had set fire to the upper floors, the hollow girl in red didn't bring 15 explosives.

She brought 150.

So as the ignorant masses worked above to save and protect, the dozens of high explosive devices waited underneath to raze and destroy. Having detailed designs of the station, including its subterranean components, and having a compulsion of being thorough, the girl known as Ruby Rose and Lilith Totenrot made sure to direct her new assistant to place explosives on the supporting columns and walls.

Every last one of them.

And so, when far above, the twisted girl raised her hand, and the moment approached, the very heavens trembled in anticipation of what would come. In response to their trembling question, she gave them a snap. A snap that answered the question of the destructive packages.

And with that snap, a tiny electrical signal in each bomb tripped. Triggering the electrical "match", it ignited the mercury fulminate primary explosive. But it was far too small, and weak to do any real damage. But that wasn't its job.

Oh no.

The job of the mg of mercury fulminate, was to jolt the far more stable, and far more powerful 10kg of high explosive into action. The chemical reaction violently triggered, acting far more powerful than the simple incendiaries used upstairs. Instead of just being all heat and fury, they were all force and destruction.

So, in a massive, violent, burst of explosive energy, the walls and pillars weren't just damaged, instead they were absolutely obliterated. One by one, each supporting structure was turned to dust in a cascading percussion of demolition. The earth shook under the successive force of the bombs, and the old fortress struggled to stand up to its might. But the disciple of the one known as Lucifer had cleaved its legs from under it. And so, the old fortress, the once shining beacon of duty and justice did the only thing it could under the merciless grasp of gravity.

It fell.

* * *

**Aveline pov**

"Creatorem Deo vestro ut benedicam panibus tuis et aquis." I recited as I placed my hand on the man's body.

My white aura flared and manifested around my body, fueled by the strength and surety of purpose the words gave me. As the words flowed from my mouth, so too did my aura flow my body, into the young man's beneath me.

"Et auferam infirmitatem de medio tui" I continued, my aura filling the man's body, infusing him with its power.

As it did, the burns covering his body began to fade, and the damage done to his lungs began to heal. It took a moment of intense concentration, but soon all the wounds were gone.

I pulled my hand from his chest and let out a breath of relief. This was the third person I'd healed, each one in danger of death without intense medical attention.

Just as I was about to move onto the next one, I felt it. The ground trembled, various object were knocked over and clattered to the ground, several people lost their balance, and beyond all of this, I could feel a series of distant booms, like someone beating on a large drum.

Before I could truly process what that meant, the world began to crumble around me.

In a massive upheaval enormous cracks erupted in a rough ring around the block, centered on the police station. Relying purely on instinct, before I could truly even think about what it meant, I pulsed aura into my legs and leaped dozens of yards backward to perceived safety.

In my wake, the ground within the ring of cracks fractured and broke apart even further. Massive slabs of pavement and rock rose and fell like the sea. Before my very eyes, the earth crumbled and fell. Before I could react I saw men and women fall to the dark below. I would always remember the faces of all of them as they looked at me with wide eyes, helpless and terrified as they tried to reach safety, only to fall to ruin.

Cars, trucks, bystanders, all fell to the cascade of destruction as the world caved beneath them. Finally, the cascade reached the station. The old fortress, built to withstand hordes of Grimm, fought and resisted its pull, but in the end, it couldn't hope to stand up to the unrelenting grasp of gravity. Metal groaned and fire flared as the building was torn to pieces as the foundation was ripped out from under it. In its wake, a massive plume of dust erupted out of the newly formed crater.

Bracing myself, I pushed through the dust cloud, walking toward the edge of the crater, hoping against hope that I could do something.

But it was not to be.

I pulsed my aura, blasting the dust cloud away from me, and beheld a sight that took my breath away. Where once stood a great piece of history and bastion of humanity, where once stood over 100 men and women, now only lay a deep crater of grey rubble. In the crater lay the miscellaneous fires, leftover from the burning fortress, crushed police cars and firetrucks sticking out of the rocks. I could see the occasional person, even, when I looked close enough.

An arm sticking out of a pile of rocks.

A torso pinned by a spike of rebar.

As I gazed at the mass grave before me, I could hear the terrified murmurs of people behind me. We were all stunned and shaken. We had thought the danger had passed. But we were wrong.

 _How could this have happened?_ I thought as I looked at the new tomb. Dust hung over the sight as orange embers flitted around in the wind. As one such ember drifted past me, my eyes shot wide open in realization.

This wasn't just dust and embers. This was Dust, straight from the massive armory and fuel stores buried deep within the station. Stores that would have been cracked open in the earth shattering detonations.

And so, it was when I looked out and realized that the air over the crater was _filled_ with airborne Dust particles that I realized the danger we were all in.

Reacting on instinct, I began one of the incantations I've used the most over the years.

 _Cum ferrum se defendit scutum fidei_ I thought, drawing my weapon and fully flaring my aura as I brought it up into a guard stance.

White light began to pour from my body, flowing out in thick, wispy, clouds that began to wrap around my mace and extend out before me.

* * *

**Torchwick pov**

"You wondered what I was like when I was angry?" Ruby repeated.

I stared down at the newly formed crater in a mixture of horror and awe, impressed by her ability to bring down something so massive and sturdy, while disturbed by the potential lying within this little bundle of darkness.

* * *

**Aveline pov**

The white cloud of aura in front of me rapidly condensed, forming something else, something solid.

 _Et non fuerit chaos_ I thought with rising conviction as the aura solidified into a massive ghostly white gold shield before me, followed by two more beside it. Each shield dug into the ground, rooting them in place firmly.

* * *

**Torchick pov**

"This…" She prefaced in a voice that made the air turn tight and could around me, filled with such dark emotion I felt as if would smother me.

"This is what happens when I am _**Furious**_." She growled.

* * *

And in that moment, the world erupted into a cacophony of light, sound, and white hot fury conducted by ice cold rage.

All the dust in the armories and all the dust from the fuel reserves were ignited by the last handful of bombs in the rubble. In an instant, a massive buildup of heat and pressure was formed as the dust was rapidly converted into raw energy. Initially contained by the thousands of tons of rubble, it built up, converting the air within into plasma as hot as the sun, until finally it broke through its containment.

At the same instant it ejected hundreds of thousands of pieces of debris as deadly shrapnel at supersonic speeds the massive the blast of plasma entering the Dust filled air above set off a massive dust explosion. An enormous fireball blossomed over the ruins of the once great police station.

The shear heat from the fireball combined with the plasma flash vaporized everything at ground zero of the eruption point. Everything else in the crater was rapidly converted into molten rock and slag. Expanding beyond that, the fireball consumed everything and everyone in its path, incinerating all in its way. The shockwave expanded past that, rupturing organs, sending debris flying, destroying every window and shaking the souls of everyone in a 5 block radius. The shrapnel ejected from the explosion acted as everything from rocky hail to artillery pieces, pelting and blasting indiscriminately. Golf ball sized stones ripped through people, walls, and cars alike. Basketball sized boulders crashed through buildings and crushed bystanders.

As the second sun detonated in the night sky, over 200 more lives were extinguished, and the lives of millions were changed forever.

However, standing as a bastion against the onslaught of devastation, was the woman known as Aveline Arc. The debris crashed and shattered against her shield. The initial shockwave broke against it, cracking the shields. Then, finally the fireball came through with the second blast wave, and shattered them. Sent flying back, Aveline collided into a building behind her, crashing through its stone wall. Despite this, in the wake of her wall of shields laid a safe zone.

All those standing behind were alive, if shaken and singed.

In its wake, the people of Vale learned the wrath of Lucifer's Disciple.

* * *

**Aveline pov**

I groaned, rousing myself from my temporary lapse in consciousness. I was lying in a bed of rubble, the ringing in my ears the only sound I could hear. I flooded my body with aura, noting that they were severely depleted, but still significant enough not to stop me. If it had been anyone else, however, they likely would have died from severe Aura depletion, if not the explosion in general.

Then I remembered it.

 _The explosion_ I all but gasped, eyes flying wide open as adrenaline coursed through my system.

I pushed the rubble off of me, digging myself out of my impromptu grave. I felt for the ambient aura in Manum Pallentis, searching out for it. Finding it, I took it in hand before walking out of the ruined café. As I stepped out of the dust filled, I found myself facing something straight out of a warzone.

The sweltering air was choked with smoke and the scents of fire and death. The crater that had once been the West Vale City Police Station could now only be described as a cooling pool of red hot lava. In front of me stood a handful of bystanders, each one frozen with complete horror and terror. Looking around I was met with nothing but more despair.

I saw that I was surrounded by complete devastation and the burning dead. Burning corpses lined the flaming streets. Buildings torn to shreds and crushed to pieces. Burned out husks of cars and trucks.

At the sound of me stepping out of the building, everyone looked to me. None of them were police of firefighters. All of them just innocent bystanders that had no idea what to do. And they all turned to me. Suddenly I felt the weight of the golden badge around my neck pulling on me. Deep inside, part of me wanted to run. It wanted to weep, to have someone come in and help.

That part of me wanted to break down.

But the rest of me, the part of me that spent the better part of 18 years trying to become someone worthy of the Arc legacy, before realizing it was better to just be the best person I could be, disagreed. The part of me that fought tooth and nail to get to where I was today, fighting through Grimm and criminals to save every last person I could, disagreed. The part of me that defied the man known as my father to do what I thought was right, that went against the teaching of "tradition" to do what I knew in my heart I had to do, disagreed.

So in that moment, instead of buckling under the pressure and crumbling to dust like dirt, I bunkered down and gathered my wits, solidified my resolve, and stood strong and resolute like diamond.

Taking a breath, I closed my eyes and listened to my soul. When I opened them they were aglow the white resolve of the Arc's.

"Don't worry." I began, walking forward, healing incantations coming to my mind as aura welled in my free hand.

"I'm here to help."

* * *

Torchwick pov

Oh my god I thought in horror at the devastation below me.

It wasn't the explosion that scared me. It wasn't watching how one of the most secure facilities in Vale burst into flames, collapsed into the ground, before detonating in a massive Dust explosion that left it a pool of lava that scared me. It wasn't watching the single most devastating terror attack in the history of Vale, if not the world. It wasn't watching scores of bystanders burning to death in the aftermath of the devastation she wrought.

It was the look of icy, contained fury on her face, it was the cold silver fire that burned from her eyes as she looked at me, that so terrified me.

"Keep this in mind, Roman, the next time you decide to think about Glynda Goodwitch." She said darkly with a dead serious look on her face, waves of anger and malevolence radiating off her person.

Glancing behind her, I saw that even Neo seemed shaken by this.

Burning the most intimidating women I had ever known at the stake for annoying her, I gulped, and burning several blocks full of police and bystanders for enraging her

"Got it Red." I nodded dumbly before making my way back to the cockpit.

The message was clear. Be amiable to her, work with her, and be valuable, then she'll be there for you, aid you, and reward you. But cross her, incite her wrath, threaten what she cares about, and she will burn your world down.

Something that made me shiver as I got up to go to the cockpit to fly us back to one of Cinder's discrete warehouses.

I think I found someone that scares me more than Cinder. I thought with a grimace.

Trying to push thoughts like those far from my mind, I decided to switch the issue from me to her.

"So...this is a lot of heat you've stirred up here, Red." I said, sitting back own behind the controls.

"In case you didn't notice, I made sure no evidence of us remains." She answered.

"Still, that's going to be a lot of hate." I pointed out.

"And hate without direction is something most dangerous and damaging." She agreed

"Which is why I gave them direction."

"You what?" I said, surprised.

"I left them a breadcrumb. It doesn't connect to the truth however, simply a truth they would want to believe. It shall distract them." She explained.

"So you framed someone?" I guessed "Makes sense."

Devious bastard I thought approvingly.

Then I realized something.

"Hey, don't you have school tomorrow?" I pointed out."Isn't that going to put a wrinkle in your plans? Especially since Goodwitch probably isn't going to like your absence."

"Don't worry." I heard her voice come from behind me, the complete silence of her movements deafening to my highly trained ears.

"I have a plan for that." She reassured, "Just keep heading toward the compound."

"Okay, if you say so." I relented

Creepy bitch I thought idly.

"I'll take that as a compliment." She said with a ghost of a smirk that irked me.

At least, until I realized her mouth hadn't moved. And I hadn't 'heard' anything.

She had spoken inside my head.

Well...shit.

* * *

**Monday, October 31**

**3:16 AM**

**Goodwitch pov**

"Oh my god…" I said in a hushed whisper, my eyes frozen to the screen before me.

On it, the news report had been talking about the fire-bombing of the West Vale City Police Station. On the report, the building was engulfed in flames. The once glorious monument to old Vale and the ancient stand against darkness and injustice, now a blazing beacon of despair. But that's not what was so horrifying, though.

What was horrifying, was that not 15 minutes after the news reporter on the tv got there and started reporting, not 15 minutes after I saw first responders appear on scene and trying to put out the fire and pull people from the wreckage, it all went wrong.

Another series of explosions detonated underneath the area, and like that the ground crumbled beneath them.

Right in front of my eyes, on live tv, dozens of people were killed in a terrorist attack. I could see some people in the background flung from the explosion before colliding with a wet _smack_ and lifeless eyes. I saw scores of brave men and women buried underneath hundreds of tons of rubble.

Before anyone could so much as even _process_ what happened, a third explosion rocked the crater. Massive fireballs exploded out from the rubbles as pools of what looked like molten metal or rock poured out from the cracks, melting everything in sight. The endless screams of pain both physical and emotional rocked my soul and horrified me.

 _Who could do such a thing?_ I thought with wide eyes and slack jaw.

"Aunt Glynda?" A quiet voice from behind me said.

Spinning around I saw her.

"Ruby?" I said, surprised she was still up, and here, considering not long ago I had seen her to bed.

She was in her standard sleeping clothes, aka, her regular clothes minus her cape and boots. She was standing there, her black blanket draped around her shoulders. While she didn't look particularly tired, that didn't mean anything. Ruby could seemingly fall asleep and wake up at will.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" I asked, caught off guard.

"Your soul was distracting me. It's all…twisted…and sad." She answered.

"What's wrong?" She asked with a cocked head and an innocent look on her pale face.

"It's nothing." I said, trying to look normal in the face of such a horrendous tragedy.

"Aunt Glynda, please don't lie to me." She replied in a flat voice.

"I…you don't need to worry about it. Please, just go to bed." I insisted, really not wanting to talk about it.

"It's going to be hard for me to go to bed if your soul keeps crying out." She pointed out flatly.

Despite that, I think I heard an undercurrent of genuine concern in her voice. Something that touched me.

Sighing, I got off the couch and turned off the TV.

"What if I read you a story?" I suggested.

"…I'm not 5." She looked at me flatly.

"But you do enjoy a good book." I pointed out.

She looked toward the ground with the slightest furrowing of her brow, practically a scowl for anyone else.

"And you do like it when I rub your head." I added with a knowing grin.

"Fine…" She grumbled, trying to put up a tough front, but trying not to show it.

I smiled. As much as it sounded like this was all for Ruby, it was actually probably more for me. Ruby wouldn't be able to go to sleep with my soul in turmoil, as she put it, and doing this was….soothing to me. Massaging her scalp as we both read books of our own was something we had started doing at night on occasion, and in never failed to drain the stress from my body.

To be honest, that aura of unease she had was fading. I no longer felt unsettled by it, instead it was…warm, welcoming, something I enjoyed. Like standing near a bonfire in the cold dead of winter.

So, following her to her bedroom, I grabbed a book that had caught my eye a couple days ago, "The Picture of Dorian Gray", and closed the door behind me.

_Hopefully this can give me some peace of mind as well_

* * *

**Monday, October 31**

**4:00 am**

**Kokkinos pov**

My blood was ablaze with fury and focus. My mind racing as it moved my body to attack and defend. I was on the verge of being overwhelmed, right on the edge between victory and defeat.

It was perfect.

 _This is exactly what I've been looking for_ I thought, a savage grin carving it's way onto my face as I twisted my waist out of the way of a spear.

The training mech in front of me tried to pull it back to launch the polearm again, but I countered by trapping the shaft in my armpit. Flinging my foot forward, I kicked the mech away with such force that it was nearly ripped in half at the chest while it arms were torn from their sockets, still holding onto the spear.

Dropping the spear, I dropped into a low crouch as a sword soared over my head. Spinning with it, I cleaved the mech in half with the large battleaxe in my hands. Rising smoothly, I took an instant to survey the area.

I was in the circular arena of training room 8, one that contained a very familiar stadium setup for me. The real draw, however, were the training mechs. Apparently this place had the highest possible rating of training difficulty, something you needed to earn. I assume so that weak fools don't get slaughtered by the dozens, anyone trying to use the arena for the first time will only be able to use the starting difficulty, which is trivial.

From there, it goes up in difficulty, rising as you accrue victories. For me, it didn't actually start to get anywhere even resembling a challenge until round 10, where one actually hit me, though that was more because of laziness than anything else. So after that round, I actually made a conscious effort to never get hit, regardless of the fact they'd never do much damage. Considering that now, at round 18, there were close to 40 of the mechs left on the counter for the scoreboard, that was a bit hard.

 _But I live for this!_ I snarled, blocking another's sword strike with the shaft of the axe before kicking the robot's knee in and shattering it. Then I spun out of the way, letting it get speared in the chest in my place. I turned the evasive spin into an offensive one and swung the blade of the axe right through the second robot's neck, decapitating it.

I snapped up a spinning kick, sending another one into a wall, before ducking down to avoid an axe aimed at my face and responded by shoving the sharpened tip of the butt of the axe through its and quickly pulling it out before it got caught. In all honesty, however, I found this to be a poor substitute for fighting live combatants. There was something more…invigorating about fighting real opponents.

I missed the days when I would fight tooth and nail against a worthy opponent, being pushed to the brink of death and knowing that it was either going to be me or them. Truly, nothing compared to the feeling of clawing out a victory as I felt the warm blood of my enemy splash onto my body, signaling the ending of their life, and the continuation of mine.

Compared to that, fighting these robots felt…hollow.

 _Hollow or not, tearing through these mechs is a good stress reliever._ I thought, slamming the head of my axe down, burying it within the chest of the last training mech.

 _And a good workout_ I added, wiping the sweat that drenched my body from my brow. Both me and my clothes would surely need a shower after this, drenched in the strong scent of my own sweat from all the training. Looking up, I saw that I had passed round 38, and could go on with 39 if I wanted to.

 _Only 12 more before I hit round 50_ I thought in anticipation. 50 was the max, and would surely give me the challenge I sought. If it didn't, well, at least these sessions provided a nice refresher course for my weapon's training.

 _Still, I should probably go to bed_ I thought, resting the axe on my shoulder.

I had spent the past 6 or so hours in here, clearing through round after round. With only a small break for water in between. Glancing at my watch, which I had purchased so I would not be forced to use that accursed scroll all the time, I saw that it was well after 4:00 am.

I frowned at it, realizing that I had gotten caught up in here and lost track of time. I would have preferred to get up at this time, not go to sleep at it. Despite that, my body demanded sleep, regardless of how brief it might be. I considered skipping class to get more rest, seeing as how I didn't get anything out of it, but then I figured she would need the notes I took on it for her own use.

I stopped on my way to the exit, suddenly clutching my head as I grunted out in pain, nearly dropping the axe in my hand.

Then…I grinned. I grinned a mad grin and it took all I had not to burst out into cruel laughter and tears of mad joy. I did this because, for the first time in far too long, I felt something that would take me from this hell.

I felt an absolutely massive headache trying to crack my skull open from the inside. Somehting that could mean only one thing.

_She's waking up_

* * *

**Monday, October 31**

**5:30 am**

**Aveline pov**

I wiped my brow after I set down the latest piece of rubble. I had been tirelessly working and coordinating with authorities to clean the area up and get people the help they needed. Eventually I would need to give command a full official report, but that was an issue for later.

Right now, I was using my skills in Aural sensing to it's fullest.

Unfortunately, do to all that had happened, that was harder than it should have been. Normally I could have sensed the souls of all still alive, but that was all but impossible here. All the death here had saturated the area in the ambient touch of their souls, something that the Arc family Aura was particularly reactive too. It was like a heavy fog of the dead was covering the area for me, something that did nothing to help my mood. Combined with how weak the souls of civilians felt compared to people with active aura, sensing any of their souls was far outside my abilities.

I also couldn't use it to sense heat, since everything in the blast zone was at least as warm as a human was.

So in the end, I used it to sense holes where people could be. It was far from efficient, and had me doing little more than uncovering potholes. Still, I had already saved 5 people trapped under debris, and found 8 others who had already passed. As depressing as finding a corpse was, at least their family would have closure, and a body to bury.

And in the end, at least it was something.

At least it meant I wasn't so helpless.

 _Not like I was when I let all those people die in front of me._ I thought morbidly

I was pulled from my thoughts when a hand clamped down on my shoulder. Glancing up, I was welcome to a friendly face.

"Ymir." I smiled, feeling the coolness of his hand suck the burning heat right out of me.

"Aveline." He nodded grimly.

"How are you holding up?" He asked, concern leaking into his voice.

"I'm just…I'm doing what I can." I said with a tired sigh.

He nodded silently in agreement before taking his hand off me.

"Well, let me know how I can help." He requested.

"You can help me with this massive slab." I said, pointing to the car sized piece of rubble that I could feel was sitting over a large pocket in the ground.

"Alright." He agreed, and without another word we lifted it in tandem.

Throwing it over to the pile of discarded rubble, I looked inside to see a dark cavern beneath it.

"Think there's anyone down there?" Ymir asked, turning on his flashlight to try and pierce the darkness and thick clouds of dust.

"Maybe." I murmured, walking forward.

Unfortunately my advance was halted when I nearly tripped over a rock.

"Uff," I grunted, stumbling over it.

"Problem?" Ymir asked, turning around to look at me with a quirked brow.

"No," I denied with an annoyed frown, turning to look at the debris that tripped me.

"Just a damn…" I trailed off when I realized that I hadn't tripped over a rock at all.

It was a book.

A little black book.

And it filled my body and blood with ice.

"Aveline?" Ymir questioned, walking back up to me as he noticed how I stiffened.

I ignored him, all my attention on the one little book. My gut _roared_ at me about it, every hair on my body stood up on end as I bend down to pick it up. I brushed the dust off the cover, and had to force myself not to react.

Because on that cover, was the symbol of the White Fang.

And I knew right there what it meant. This wasn't just a book, this was a symbol.

This wasn't just a little black book.

This was Le Livre Noir.

* * *

**Yang pov**

_Drip_

_Drip_

_Drip_

A breeze blew by, carrying the scent of blood, dirt, and roses past me. I opened my eyes and saw the world around me. Bright green grass, jet black sky, and coal black trees surrounding me. Through the trees I could see the obsidian sand shores of the Red Lake inside the Black Forest. I looked down, and saw her standing in front of me, wreathed in black and red.

"Ruby?" I asked, looking down at her in confusion.

My mind felt clogged and clouded, as if I couldn't quite remember what was happening.

Ruby responded by pulling down her red hood and looking back up at me with those hollow silver eyes.

"Hello, Yang." She said emotionlessly.

"W-what are you doing here?" I asked, feeling an inexplicable fear.

"I'm here for your penance." She answered, taking a step forward.

Instinctively, I took a step back, the fear inside me rising. I could just feel that _something_ was going to happen, something terrible.

"You've done a lot of wrong, Yang. There's a lot you need to pay for." She continued, backing me further into the forest.

"And I'm here so you can make up for it." She finished.

And with her final word, the back of my foot knocked into something, nearly tripping me up.

Turning around, I looked down, and saw a pale hand sprouting out from the ground, grabbing onto it.

Fear exploded in me as another joined it. It's vice grip digging into my skin as it tried to pull me down.

Screaming out in surprise, I tried to yank my foot away, but it was too strong. Soon, I lost my balance, and toppled to the grass covered ground. All around me, more hands rose up, overturning the bright verdant grass as they reached out and reached out to me. The grabbed onto everything they could with their small, pale, cold, hands. Like an army of dolls, they tore at hair, clothes, and skin, all while I struggled in their grasp.

Soon, the rest of them sprouted out of the ground. I was met with small pale faces with black eyes, crimson black hair, and rows of needle like teeth. They closed in all around me, trying to tear me to pieces.

Just like they did before in the Lake.

Just as they bit into my skin, just as tore out my hair, just as the crawled all over me, something inside me snapped.

_**NO!** _

Fury erupted in me as my aura exploded into fire. I ripped my right arm out of their grasp and grabbed onto the head of the doll trying to smother me, and threw it across the forest. Tearing my other from their grasp, I fought back, pulling away and resisting them. Soon, pulling became pushing, and pushing became throwing, and before I knew it I was blinded by defiant rage.

These… _things_ tried to kill me, eat me! They wanted to drag me down and tear me to pieces, bury me alive and end me.

 _And I refuse to lose to this!_ I thought with a roar, _I refuse to just let this happen_

So I punched, kicked, and screamed my way through the horde of carnivorous dolls. At some point, I grabbed another one by the head, and pinned it to the ground beneath me.

Then I just…I just lost it. I just punched it in the head over and over again.

" _Wait!"_ I could hear in the back of my mind.

" _Stop!"_ It begged in a whisper.

" _Please!"_

But I showed no mercy. I kept punching, over and over again. I could feel the pain of the horde trying to tear into me, but my rage ignored it. I could feel my fist growing soar from the hits, by fury dismissed it.

I felt its skull slowly cracking and giving way to my blows. I could feel warm, wet, blood fly off of it, and splatter onto my fists, my face, and my clothes. All it did was fill me with a dark satisfaction, all it did was feed my fury. In the red haze, all that mattered was pain and punishment.

Then, the fog cleared, the haze lifted, and my energy diminished. I noticed I wasn't being attacked anymore. I looked around, but they were all gone, it was just me, and the thing below me.

I looked down, and to my horror, to my disgust, it wasn't one of the dolls.

It was Ruby.

Half her face was a bloody, swollen, mess, one eye closed shut. The other looked up at me with….confusion, fear, betrayal.

"Why?" She cried, her voice straining as she looked up at me.

"No. No no no." I rambled, panicking.

 _I can't lose her! How could I have let this happen?_ I questioned, my mind a mess of grief. I had no idea what to do, how to save her, how to make this right.

"I-I…I just wanted to help you." She croaked out, blood trailing out of her mouth as she raised a hand up to cup my cheek.

"Ruby, just hang on, it's going to be ok." I continued, desperately holding her cold pale hand in my own, tears forming in my eyes as my throat closed up.

"Why do you hate me?" She asked with a sad frown, begging to understand _why_.

Then…her hand lost its strength, and the light faded from her eyes.

"Ruby? Ruby!" I cried, despair in disgust filling me.

 _How could I do this? How could I do…this…to my own sister?_ I thought, unable to even think of it as tears fell from my face.

I looked at my hands, covered in the blood over my sister, the sound of it all dripping to the to ground echoing throughout the otherwise silent forest.

_Drip_

_Drip_

_Drip_

Then, cutting through my sobs, was a sound that didn't belong.

Laughter.

Mocking, cruel, and ethereal laughter.

Glancing behind me, I looked to see what dared mock this tragedy, only to have my eyes open wide at what I saw. It was impossible, unexpected, and in every sense, disturbing and unreal. Because the person behind me, laughing at me, was none other…

Than me.

It was…me…but…twisted.

Her skin was black as night, her clothes deep violet and white in contrast to my pale skin and brown and black clothes. Her hair was aflame, a bright burning purple. And her eyes were an all too familiar blood red.

She was like a total inversion of me. Same appearance, height, proportions, everything, just with a color reversal.

"Wow, you finally killed her." She laughed.

"Shut up!" I growled at her

"What, don't blame me for you fulfilling your fantasy." She mocked.

"My fantasy?!" I roared.

"Oh come on, admit it." She dismissed.

"You've always wanted to kill your little sister." She said with a devilish grin.

"What? No!" I recoiled.

"You can't lie to me." She smiled

"After all, I'm you."

I tried to find a comeback but…I couldn't. My rage was spent, my anger dead, and my fury extinguished.

"And I have to say, very glad you finally realized what you've always wanted."

"I didn't want this!" I denied, jumping up from Ruby's body.

"Well, they say actions speak louder than words, and well…your actions for her life have been quite loud." She said with a sinister smile, circling around me.

"T-that's not true." I denied.

"Oh? Then what about that time you lost her? That was your fault, after all?" She pointed out.

"That-"I tried to explain.

"Or the time you watched what those bullies did to her, knowing you could have saved her, but instead just spying in the bushes." She added.

"I-"

"Or how about how you can't even let her touch you without flinching?" She needled.

Soon, I couldn't even find the words to protest, each comment spearing right through my heart, leaving me unable to deny the truth of them.

"What about the time she asked for your help with training for Signal, and you made up a hollow excuse to say no? I mean, everyone could tell you were lying."

"And all those times she tried to hang out with you, make plans with you, and you just did everything you could to worm your way out of it?"

"How about all those broken promises?"

"What about how you keep trying to forget she even exists?"

Then she got right up in my face, and looked me straight in the eyes.

"And lets not forget your most grievous sins, shall we?" She grinned,

I tried to look away, but she gripped my jaw and forced me to look her in the eye.

"You're terrified of your little precious Ruby, despite the fact all she's ever done is try to get you to love her." She pointed out.

And she was right.

"You dream of her killing you, because you know you deserve it, even though you know she'd never do it."

It was all true.

"And of all the times she's said, "I love you, Yang.", you have never _ever_ said you love her back."

"Not since that fateful day, anyway." She finished, pulling back.

She was completely right.

"So face it, Yang. You don't love your sister. You hate her." She smirked, looking back at me condescendingly

"No! I love Ruby! I do, it's just…" I trailed off, pitifully trying to defend myself.

"It's just what, Yang? You can't even lift a finger to help your little sister, and you're one of the only things in the world she truly loves." She prodded.

"I don't know." I muttered looking away, not knowing how to explain myself.

"Well, it's a good thing I do. Face it Yang, you're jealous of her." She accused.

"What?!" I exclaimed, "That's ridiculous!"

"Oh, come now Yang, it makes so much sense. You're jealous because she took attention away from your dad and fake mom. And why not? Unlike you, Ruby is Summer's _real_ daughter, you were just a stand in." She explained.

"N-no, she loved me, I know she did." I argued.

"Maybe, but it could hardly compare to her love for Ruby. And you hated that fact that, unlike you, Ruby's mom actually loved her. Yours just threw you away the first chance she got." The apparition smirked.

"And it makes sense, after all, all things considered. I mean, you don't even know what you are." She teased.

Gritting my teeth, I tried to bite back with confidence, "I'm Yang Xiao Long, a-"

"-Monster." She interrupted with a self-assured face.

I stopped, stumbling back in shock, "W-w-what?"

"You heard me." She grinned.

"You, Yang Xiao Long, are a monster." She enunciated, stepping back up to me.

"Then what are you?" I frowned, my defiance trying to rise up against this….this…thing.

"Oh, little old me?" She said with mock innocence.

Then, she leaned in real close to me, almost nose to nose. She looked straight at me with those blood red eyes and said these words.

"I'm your inner monster given form."

"I don't care what you say, I know I'm not a monster." I defied.

"You say that, but only a monster could do the things you've done. Scarring and discarding your loving little sister? Tearing your family apart? Walking away without a scratch from every disaster you've ever caused, while those around you suffer? That sounds like a monster to me." She grinned.

Gripping my shoulders and shoving me, she said, "I mean, think of all that hate inside you. Deep down you know the answer for it. No human could have that kind of potential for hate and rage. In fact, there's only one creature on Remnant that does."

Then, her grin widened to inhuman proportions, her face stretching and twisting into a personification of sadistic confidence and glee.

"Grimm."

"W-what are you saying?" I faltered.

"I'm just making an observation." She said casually, leaning away from me and giving me space.

"I mean, you have bloodlust, hate, and rage unlike anything else. Your savage fighting instinct is brutal and ruthless, no matter how much you try to deny it. I mean, hell, those red eyes of your certainly aren't normal." She pointed out.

"Uncle Qrow has red eyes." I weakly defended.

"Pft," She scoffed, "You think he's a saint? Do you have any idea how many people he's slain? How many lives he's ruined? That man's every bit a monster his sister his, he just hides it better."

"And your mother herself? Well, everyone knows she's a monster in human flesh. And what does it say about you, that a monster like her couldn't even stand her own daughter's presence, she was so twisted from birth?" She pushed further in an unrelenting offensive.

"W-what do you want?" I asked, broken by her assault.

In the end, I just…I just couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't take it. I felt lost and defeated, scared and unprepared.

This apparition, this figment of my imagination had broken me, and I didn't know how to fight back anymore.

In response to my defeated question, she laughed, walking back up to me with all the confident swagger I would use on a defeated opponent.

"What do I want, little Yangy?" She mocked, raising her arm up.

 _PLICK_.

I shook, looking down, and found her shadow clad arm wrist deep in my chest.

"I just want you to accept the monster you are." She said with a mouth splitting grin.

Then, before I could react, her mouth split her head in two, and snapped around me.

Then…

There was darkness.

* * *

I jolted up from the couch panting, my body burning up. The room was dark, and the clock read 5:30 am. I could smell the scent of something burning in my nostrils as smoke wafted off the couch where I lay. My heart raced, my blood ran hot, and my eyes teared up as my brain tried to process what was a dream and what wasn't.

 _I'm safe_ I tell myself.

 _I'm safe and all alone_ I try to comfort myself, sitting up on the couch as I closed my eyes and tried to focus on my breathing.

I tried to calm myself down with it, to make myself feel safe in my skin again.

 _It's over._ I told myself over and over.

_It was just a dream_

_It's over now._

As the image of peace solidified in my mind and began to pervade my being, it was suddenly shattered by two little words.

"That's cute." The voice said.

I froze, my blood freezing in my veins as my heart stopped. Slowly, I allowed my gaze to shift over to where it had come from.

"You think it's over." She said, sitting on the other side of the couch.

Then, she turned to me with her hollow silver eyes and said with a wry smile, "I told you Yang."

"You won't ever leave me again."

* * *

**? pov**

Flashes of red filled my vision, temporarily blinding me in a crimson rhythm. The blaring klaxon screeched in my ear over and over. All the while my mind was still clouded with this thick fog of disorientation.

 _What's going on?_ I thought

_Where am I?_

[Warning.] A monotone, electronic, and female voice said in what would normally be considered a soothing tone.

[This is not a drill.]

[Pandora protocols at 40% effectiveness and failing.]

 _Pandora protocols?_ I wondered, the words sounding familiar, but still remaining unable to place meaning behind anything.

[Warning: This is not a drill. Pandora Protocols at 30% effectiveness and failing.]

Then, I heard it.

A roar, a distant, muffled roar, but a monstrous roar nonetheless. Dull tremors rocking through the ground followed it, before finally the sound of screeching metal and a loud _thump_ ended it.

[Warning: Subject MANTICORE has escaped containment. This is not a drill]

My eyes flew open, startled into action by the latest piece of information. With it, I remembered where I was, what I was doing, and most importantly, the Pandora Protocols.

 _No!_ I cried internally, refusing to let the panic inside me show.

I looked around, seeing I was standing in a large room filled with soldiers running around, trying to manage the chaos as best they could. In front of me and behind me were two impossibly large metal gates.

 _This is it_ I thought _This is the line between the madness inside the facility_ I thought, looking at the large gate with the black symbols on it.

 _And the rest of the world_ I continued, turning to the gate with the white symbols on it on the other side of the massive hall.

The room was so large, you could fit an Atlesian Air Cruiser in here. I know, because we've had to do it once. Large columns held up the massively high ceiling. More sealed bulkheads lead in the room lead off into other parts of the facility, but this was the entrance, and the exit. There was no other way in or out.

[Warning: Pandora Protocols at 20%]

Then I heard another sound, another dreadful, fear inducing sound. This time it was more of an unearthly bellow, like from some monster from the deep. It was combined with more tremors, and more sounds of metal breaking under the strain.

[Warning: Subject OROCHIMARU has escaped containment. This is not a drill]

The sounds of distant gunshots reached my ears. The sounds of men screaming and yelling, the sounds of an approaching death none could hold at bay. Tremors shook every inch of the facility, dirt and dust was knocked from the ceiling, falling on us all like snow.

[Warning: Pandora Protocols at 10%]

The sound of a howling shriek echoed through the installation, the sounds clawing at our very sanity. More violent tremors followed suite, and the sounds of gunshots rang out with even greater fervor.

[Warning: Subject WENDIGO has escaped containment. This is not a drill]

Beyond that gate, I knew good men and women were dying, all because of my mistake. Because my _hubris_. And I knew, we were next.

Then, ever so slowly, the sound of gunshots and screams died off, and soon, it was dead silence. Only the sound of ventilation and various pieces of machinery moving around echoed through the large chamber. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife, everyone in there, ready, and waiting for a sign of what it meant. Was it what they hoped?

Or what they dreaded?

 _THOOM!_ A large thus rang out against the door.

Everyone flinched violently at the sound.

 _THOOM!_ It rung again, a dent appearing in the massive foot thick steel door.

[Warning, Pandora Protocols have failed, enacting White Fire Contingency]

The metal cracked under the strain, bending and buckling under the pressure. They beat upon it like a drum, throwing their whole power behind their blows as they desperately tried to get in, to _feed_. We could hear them clawing at the door, screeching, roaring, and bellowing for us. The alarm shrieked at us, a timer counting down to the moment of our inevitable end.

 _This is all my fault_ I knew, drawing my own weapon in preparation for the coming flood.

Finally, the door began to give way, a crack appeared, a seam opening up.

_This is what I get for my arrogance._

And from there, my whole world was filled with blood.

* * *

[Get up. Get up. Get up] the alarm blared in my ears.

I shook my head, rousing myself from my sleep.

 _Not that nightmare again_ I thought, shaking the terrors from my mind.

"Sir" I voice came over from the intercom

"Yes?" I responded, pushing the call button on the wall next to my bed.

"You wanted to know when we were approaching Vale Air space?" the Sergeant asked

"Yes?" I continued, getting up.

"We're currently 15 minutes away. I took the liberty of triggering your alarm so you would have time to prepare." He added.

"Anything further to report." I grunted, still trying to shake the sleep off as I put on my shirt.

"Yes sir, the operative you sent in earlier has finally reported back. She's waiting at a safe house to report." He added.

 _Well, I suppose that's something to smile about_ I thought silently, _I was actually starting to get worried._

"That will be all Sergeant, dismissed." I said, pulling myself from the bed.

It was soft. Too soft, to be honest. I didn't really feel like I deserved it, and after all that time sleeping on hard cots, it was hard getting used to this much…luxury.

"Yes sir." He responded, the crack of static signaling the closing of the comm.

I sighed, now that I was finally alone again.

 _I suppose, all in all, it's a small price to pay._ I thought, thinking back on my nightmare, just one of many.

"I deserve more for my sins."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first bit with Auroranism…that's not really going to be important right now, it's just background stuff. Religion often seems to be something that, all too often, is ignored in works, or criticized. Sometimes it's uplifted, and those times are nice, but I didn't want to do that.
> 
> See, I find religion interesting, and not something you can universally dismiss as "Archaic" or something. That said, I don't want to go around making it sound like religion is the hottest shit since sliced bread.
> 
> Thus why Jaune is being what I would consider a standard teen, and mostly finding this all boring and tuning it out.
> 
> So all in all, that scene was just set up for Auroranism, which is the primary religion on Remnant in Madness. It'll be pretty important later on, but for now it's just background info.
> 
> There was more brother sister bonding with Jaune and Aveline, so that's a thing.
> 
> After that, well, we had the heist and the explosion.
> 
> I'm not sure words are needed for the explosions.
> 
> Now, some, probably a lot of you might find it as overkill,
> 
> I call it sending a message and leaving no evidence.
> 
> And overkill.
> 
> Lots of overkill.
> 
> To be honest, it was originally going to just be one explosion, but then it sort of...expanded from there, the more I thought about it.
> 
> Also Aveline showed off the Arc family Semblance, which is essentially incantations. Like glyphs for the Schnee's, but verbal, with effect changing depending on the incantation. Slower to cast, but usually more versatile or powerful.
> 
> The other issue was Glynda.
> 
> Last couple chaps, many of you mentioned you thought, or at least considered, that all ruby's interactions with Glynda were fake, and that she actually doesn't care for her.
> 
> At that point I considered playing coy, or blatantly showing you the answer.
> 
> I think you can tell which one I picked.
> 
> Also I decided to have Roman have those "treacherous" thoughts because they make sense for him. He's just being practical.
> 
> Though he is beginning to wrap his head around how much he does not want to fuck with Ruby.
> 
> Plus it's fun to make people shit their metaphorical pants
> 
> As for Yang…
> 
> Man
> 
> Things are not looking good for Yang.
> 
> Don't really want to elaborate on that in case I accidentally spoil something, but that scene was something I had been planning for quite a while.
> 
> Kokkinos found her stress relief area, so she won't be five seconds away from murdering people all the time. Oh, and Kokkinos will actually be going under soon-ish. So yes, Pyrrha isn't dead.
> 
> And Le Livre Noir has become relevant once more. All them breadcrumbs I left before now rear their ugly head once more. Also, fun fact, Le Livre Noir is French for The Black Book. Which is why Le Livre Noir was given their name.
> 
> And finally we end it with mystery person having a mystery flashback filled with monsters.
> 
> Now, is that going to be relevant soon?
> 
> Not really
> 
> It's just a breadcrumb being set in what I consider the most opportune place.
> 
> In any case, I think there's one important thing to take away from this

**Author's Note:**

> Well, welcome to my story, The Madness of Death.  
> I hope you liked it.  
> Not too much Madness going on yet, is there?  
> Well, that should change, come next chapter.  
> I originally posted this fic on FF.net, but decided to put in here too, see how it did and such.  
> I already have the first 32 chapters of this thing done. They're all posted on FF.net as The Madness of Death, and there I will be keeping it as one solid work. Here, I'll be splitting it up into sets of 32 chapters.  
> Why 32?  
> Because of the way I format my story.  
> Each "Scene" is a chapter. 4 Chapters makes a smaller story arc. 4 Arcs, or 16 chapters, makes an Act. And 2 Acts, or 32 chapters, makes a "Season" or Volume or whatever the hell I decided to call it.  
> Thats the way I have it planned out, and that's how I'm going to make it work. If I have to make some chapters over 20k words to fit the bill, I'll do it.  
> In any case, since I already have up to 32 done, I'll be posting this stuff on here pretty quickly. I Only need to do a few minor alterations to make it work, after all.  
> So leave a comment and all that jazz so I know if ya'll like it, so I know if I need to fix something, or if this was a good idea at all.


End file.
